Trouble Is A Friend
by Mia-Marauder-Potter
Summary: After Malfoy Manor, Hermione and Fred are sent back to the past by a game of exploding snap. Rewrite of A Marauder Hopeful And His Most Logical Friend. No matter what, this will not be abandoned, even if there are long breaks. I will come back to it.
1. Exploding Snap

**April 14th, 1998**

Hermione stared at the ceiling, her eyes pinned on the small mural Fleur had drawn - there was one in each room of the house, something the woman had done to keep busy while pregnant and out of the fight. The one in her room was of a sunflower blooming in the middle of a lake, and it was beautiful.

She hadn't left the room since she'd arrived days earlier, unable to do so much as stand. Bill had been personally taking care of her, and she'd heard him mutter something about him being the one to find her, but she hadn't really been listening. She had been in a sort of numb, uncomprehending state since Malfoy Manor, one that was slowly fading but certainly not gone completely. She was certainly much more comprehending now, however.

Bill entered the room quietly, and she turned to see a tired smile on his face. He took his place on the chair next to her bed and grabbed her hand gently, rubbing patterns into the back of it.

She bit her lip. She hadn't spoken since they'd gotten there - she hadn't wanted to hear her voice, not after hearing her own screams for so long. But she had to eventually, and she knew that, and she wasn't one to ignore the fact or procrastinate. "Why are you taking care of me?"

Bill's head shot up, his eyes wide. "Hermione?" She gave him a weak smile, trying to comfort him. He seemed to be trying to process the words as a frown covered his face. "Why wouldn't I take care of you?"

"I mean… you're the only one," she clarified, and he nodded his understanding.

"We've always been close," he began, and she nodded. It was true. He'd had her love of knowledge and learning but also knew how to have fun, like his brothers, and he often wrote her while she was at school, even if just to remind her to slow down. It had begun in her third year, when her friends were worried about her, and she guessed Ron and Ginny had probably asked him to. Still, they'd formed a close friendship and he'd come to be like a brother, the same way Harry and Ron were, as well as the twins and Charlie. "Well, when you got here, I was... Upset. And I grabbed you and held you and carried you in, and a healing bond was formed."

"Like… between siblings," she muttered. He nodded confirmation and continued.

"It'll help you heal quicker. It pulls on my magic as well as yours."

"Isn't that… draining?" she wondered, and he shrugged.

"I don't mind."

"What about Fleur?" Hermione's eyes widened. "Oh my god, is she okay with it?"

"Calm down, love," Bill smiled softly. "Fluer is thrilled. She just wants you to get better. She loves you." Hermione visibly relaxed, and Bill sighed. "Has anyone talked to you about your injuries?"

"Not while I've been able to remember," she shrugged.

"The after-effects of the cruciatus are… long-term. It might be a very long time before they're gone completely."

"I… know that," she rubbed the side of her face, sitting up more. "Harry was tortured by He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in Fourth Year."

"The maze," Bill nodded his understanding before moving on. "Aside from that, you've got… your arm." Hermione tensed. "She used a cursed blade. We can heal it up, but we can't get rid of the scar."

"You mean…"

"Nothing will cover it, either. We'll figure something out, but for now, it can't be covered," he admitted reluctantly. "I'm so sorry, Mione."

She was silent at the news, and he didn't try speaking to her again. He just sat by her side, holding her hand and offering his support and his magic as she slowly drifted off to sleep.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **April 19th, 1998**

It was almost a week before Hermione had recovered enough that she felt some little bit of normal again. She knew that after what had happened, she'd never really be the same, but she still had her boys with her, and others were visiting when they could.

Right then, Fred had come to visit, dropping off dinner from Molly at the same time. Fred was sat across from Harry playing exploding snap while Hermione sat next to the redhead. Bill had placed her in that chair and made her _promise_ she wouldn't get up until after dinner unless she really needed to. And he'd provided her with books. She wasn't as upset as she pretended to be.

She fingered the time turned she held around her neck as she watched them play. She'd never been fond of the game, but she appreciated the lightness she saw in Harry that came with the childish distraction. The cool glass of the time turner had become something akin to worry beads to her, and she was always messing with it now. She'd had it in her bag, having stolen it from McGonagall's desk, but she placed it around her neck as soon as Ron had been splinched and she knew she needed a little insurance in case things went really wrong.

Her eyes fell on Bill as he entered the room, just as Fred grabbed her arm, diving out of the way of a small explosion, which only pulled it closer to her as it followed Fred, the way the game worked.

And then, there was a blinding, golden light. It was horrible and lasted for what seemed like an eternity. Hermione tried to move, to look around, but she was frozen in place like she'd been stunned. Her mind rebelled against being restrained again, but her body refused to cooperate.

But as suddenly as it started, it was over. The light faded away, leaving her to fall to the ground in pain. Every nerve felt like it was on fire, and her barely healed injuries screamed in pain, making her shake uncontrollably.

"Hermione!" A voice called, snapping her out of it very suddenly. Her eyes wide, she rolled over and looked up at a head of messy red hair with… brown eyes? She looked closer.

"Fred," she breathed. "What… happened?"

"I don't know," he shook his head, kneeling next to her. "Are you okay?"

"I think… it's just the injuries, they were irritated by whatever happened," she sighed, looking around them, only to freeze. "Does this look… familiar?"

Fred did the same, and she watched a frown fall on his lips. "The Forbidden Forest…"

"But that means…" she gasped. "We could be captured anytime."

"Why haven't we been?" Fred corrected, and she paused to think about it.

"Let's try and figure out exactly what happened," she decided. "It's a good place to start."

"Okay," the twin agreed, nodding. He looked so serious. Hermione wasn't sure she'd ever had such a long, private conversation with him. "What do you remember?"

She thought about it. "You were playing exploding snap with Harry, and I was sitting next to you."

"What were you doing?"

"I was…" her eyes widened dramatically as her hand flew to her chest, only to find the time turner broken into shards of small glass that were, apparently, embedded into her skin. She gasped, and Fred looked down, his eyes widening at the sight. "Shit."

"Mione," he said, surprised.

"No, Fred, you don't understand," she shook her head, running her hands through her hair anxiously. "The sands of time are _very_ temperamental. They've only experimented on them very carefully, over twenty years, and they've only sent people back to the past for a total of five hours. Exploding them, we don't _know_ what that could do! I… I think the first thing we need to figure out is how far we've gone."

"Well, we're at Hogwarts," he pointed out uselessly. "Let's just… hope for the best?"

Hermione frowned but, not having any better options, nodded. It was a relatively short walk through the forest and they came out to find themselves near Hagrid's hut. Their question was answered rather quickly as they saw students laughing and messing around during Care of Magical Creatures.

"So… not right, then," Fred sighed. Hermione threw her head back, trying to calm herself down. The pair stayed near the entrance to the forest, where no one usually went, hoping for privacy.

Which was, apparently, too much to hope for.

"Bloody hell," a voice called. Hermione's head tilted down to glance at the clearing in front of them, startled. "You really did smell blood, Moony."

"I told you," he sighed, running over to the pair. Hermione's mind ran faster than she could keep up with as she watched the group of three boys that moved quickly over to them.

She saw Remus first, in all of his young glory. He looked worried, and she almost laughed. He looked at her like that far too much in the future.

And then…

"Maybe it was some poor bunny being devoured by a centaur," Sirius shrugged, coming to stand next to his friend. "We never know."

"You don't think centaurs have a better food supply than bunnies, Padfoot?"

Hermione's breath left her as the last boy came into view. He wore a concerned face as he stared at her, and it was almost too much to bear.

"What happened?" Remus asked gently, touching Hermione's arm. She flinched lightly, shaking her head.

 _This was all so wrong._

"There was… an accident," Fred spoke beside her, making her jump. She nodded weakly. "We need to see Professor Dumbledore and… probably Madame Pomfrey as well."

The three boys looked at each other and nodded. James reached into his bag and pulled out a very familiar cloak, handing it to Remus and Sirius. "Take them to the infirmary - I'll find Dumbles."

His friends agreed and he ran off to do as he said. She was sure someone was speaking, and she was vaguely aware of the cloak extending to reach over all of them, but she couldn't tell. She didn't even notice as they walked, Fred gently pushing her ahead. It wasn't until they reached the infirmary and Madame Pomfrey shoved a calming draught down her throat that she was able to pay attention or even process anything.

"What happened here, girl?" the witch asked, gently trying to pull her shirt off.

"No!" She snapped, her heart skipping a couple beats. She'd been wearing long sleeved shirts to hide the scar, and she didn't want to let anyone see. Fred hadn't even seen, though she was sure he'd heard. She blushed under the surprised gaze of the mediwitch. "I- I just mean, I'm uncomfortable in front of anyone else."

Pomfrey understood immediately and conjured a curtain, closing it around them. When it was done, she resigned herself to treatment and only winced when she heard the horrified gasp. "Child-,"

"It's been healed," she muttered. "There's no point worrying about it."

Madame Pomfrey's lips thinned, but she said nothing as she cast a diagnostic charm. When it was finished, she put up a silencing charm and stared down at Hermione uncomfortably. "You've been through quite a lot recently."

"Yes."

"You haven't recovered from the cruciatus," the witch murmured. "And you've had a healing bond severed. Did someone… pass?"

Hermione shook her head. "It's hard to explain. I can't… reach them anymore. I'll be fine. I just need the glass removed."

Madame Pomfrey shook her head as she took down the charm and handed Hermione a blanket, leaving the area, likely to get potions and whatever else she needed.

Before she could relax, Hermione found herself surrounded by three boys and scrambled to pull the blanket over herself.

"Are you okay?" Fred asked softly, and she nodded.

"So…" Sirius began slowly. "Who are you?"

"Sirius!" Remus sighed, rolling his eyes. The boy shrugged, and Hermione gave them a small smile.

"I'm Mia," she said. She felt Fred stiffen in surprise but ignored it.

"Fred here says he doesn't remember showing up here," Sirius raised an eyebrow. Hermione shrugged.

"Neither do I," she lied. "There was just this… pain, and then we were here."

"But who are you?" Sirius continued. Mia shrugged.

"I don't remember much."

"What was in your chest?"

"Glass," she frowned.

"And you have no clue how it got there, or where you're from?"

"Stop interrogating her, Pads," Remus sighed tiredly. Mia looked him over carefully and realized it must be close to the full moon, especially considering their conversation when they'd found them. Remus had smelled her blood.

"I'm just curious!"

"Curiosity killed the cat," Remus said. He sounded vaguely like a parent scolding their child.

"Satisfaction brought him back," Fred joked, groaning as Mia elbowed him.

The curtain opened and Mia could've hugged the poor mediwitch. "What are you all doing in here? Go! Out!"

The boys left sheepishly and it was rather quick to pull out the glass and heal the small cuts. One, apparently, would scar, but Mia really just did not care. She had plenty of them, and they weren't going anywhere. She didn't care.

The last thing Pomfrey did was give her a muscle relaxer and pain potion before leaving her alone. All in all, it took barely ten minutes.

When she was done, Mia was released from the infirmary, however reluctantly. James had shown up again, and he was sitting with Sirius and Remus while Madame Pomfrey cast a quick diagnosis charm on Fred, even as he insisted he was fine. Chuckling at the scene, Mia made her way over to the Marauders.

"What did Dumbledore say?" she asked, getting James's attention. He gave her a small smile.

"He wants all of us in his office as soon as you're both released," he told her, and she nodded. His smile was so similar to Harry's that it hurt. She saw it now, why everyone thought they looked so similar.

"What's on your arm, kitten?" Sirius wondered, reaching for her. She flinched, pulling it back to her chest.

"I forgot my sweater," she cursed, running away from the trio and leaving them confused.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **September 11th, 1976**

The group of five entered Dumbledore's office ten minutes later, the five-minute walk from the infirmary going extremely slow. He smiled softly at all of them and waved for them to sit, and Mia's gut twisted.

She hadn't considered, really, how it would feel to be sitting in front of her old headmaster again. She'd been sad when he died, and she'd grieved with everyone else, but eventually, she'd come to see his significant flaws, and she wasn't sure she could forgive him for being so… human, especially since he always seemed to be above everyone else in that way, to have some great all knowing power.

So she sat in front of him, her hands in her lap, Fred on her left and Sirius on her right, Remus and James next to him.

"Miss…?" Dumbledore questioned. Mia hesitated.

"My name is Mia," she offered. The man nodded slowly, looking concerned.

"Mia. Poppy said you were hurt rather extensively. Are you alright?"

Mia tensed as the Marauders turned to look at her. "It was just some glass caught in my chest."

"She said-,"

"What she found were old injuries," she informed him, trying to be as polite as possible. "They have been dealt with prior to my arrival."

"I see," Dumbledore gave her a smile with that stupid twinkle in his eye. "Well, whatever the matter, I am glad you're alright."

"Thank you, sir."

"But I'd rather like to know how you got here," he continued, raising an eyebrow.

"Sir, I'd be more comfortable if… for now, we speak in private?" she requested. Dumbledore nodded quickly and dismissed the Marauders, who pouted and complained but did as they were told.

"What happened, Mia?" Dumbledore asked. She took a deep breath in.

"I don't… know how to prove to you that I'm telling the truth," she sighed. "I'm not open to Occlumency, however, I wouldn't disagree with Veritaserum, as long as the questions were approved beforehand."

Dumbledore frowned at her. "I'm not sure that's necessary."

"We're from the future."

There was a beat of silence.

"I'll be right back," the man said, moving to a room to his right. He returned barely a moment later with a small, clear vial, and Mia nodded, reaching out for it.

It took them a few minutes to agree on the questions, but finally, Mia tipped the vial back and downed the tasteless potion.

She felt the effects immediately as she got the urge to spill her every secret.

"What is your name?" Dumbledore asked, and she winced.

"Hermione Granger," she rubbed her forehead. "I only lied because I did not know the situation and it's better to be safe."

"Of course," the old man nodded. "What year were you born?"

"1979," she answered immediately. He nodded slowly, marking off the question and moving onto the next one.

"What year were you in yesterday?"

"1998."

"How did you get your injuries?"

Hermione fought against the Veritiserum, furious that he'd gone off of the planned questioned. "B-Bellatrix Lestrange- tortured me for hours and carved 'mudblood' into my arm."

He paled.

"Fuck!" she spat, clenching her fists. "That was _not_ necessary information, _Albus_."

"I apologize," he bowed his head and she even believed him a little bit. "How did you get sent here?"

"As far as I can tell," she began, still angry but ready to move on. She knew Fred was paying close attention, but he was extremely quiet and he'd seemed overwhelmed, so she'd left him alone. "My time turned got too close to a game of exploding snap. It broke, and myself and the person closest to me - Fred - got sent back here."

"Do you know why you're here?"

"I _think_ it might have something to do with some people we know in the future, them being my only real connection to any past time in the Wizarding World since I'm muggleborn."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "That would make sense."

"Are we done?"

"Yes, the potion should have worn off before the last question."

Mia nodded. She hadn't really felt like she'd _had_ to tell him anymore. "You believe us?"

"Yes, dear, I do," he sighed. "But I'm afraid that puts us in an unfortunate position."

"Where we go now," she nodded, understanding. "Well, we might be able to see if any of our boltholes are available now-,"

"No, no, you misunderstand," Dumbledore interrupted. "You will be staying here, at Hogwarts."

"Both of us?" Fred asked, speaking for the first time in a while. Dumbledore nodded.

"I'll put you both in sixth year, with the boys you met-,"

"Sweet!" Fred grinned and Mia couldn't help but smile at him. He was excited to be in school with the Marauders. She knew they were his heroes.

"-and I've got a call to make, but I'll be sending you home with a family, too. I've got an idea for that. I'd like to take care of that quickly, and then we can settle anything else we need to talk about."

Mia nodded, and the man turned and left, heading toward the fireplace, presumably to floo call someone. She leaned back in her chair and let out a deep breath.

"Hermione, how long do you think we'll be stuck here?"

She bit her lip. "I really don't know, Fred."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"What?"

"I said-,"

"No, thanks, I heard you. I just… why them?" Mia blinked, frowning at Dumbledore.

"They're very kind people, and they're powerful enough to protect you if you need it," the man reasoned. "And you'll be going to school with their son, and he seems to like you."

"But… the Potters!" Mia heard her protest and knew how weak it was.

"That's us," a voice called, and she spun around to find a man and a woman standing at the entrance to the room. Her breath caught in her throat.

"Ah, Charlus, Dorea! Thank you for coming," Dumbledore greeted happily, smiling kindly. He shook hands with Charlus and kissed Dorea's knuckles before leading the couple over to her and Fred, both of whom stood immediately.

They stared at each other for one long moment before Dorea's smile grew. "I always wanted more children."

"She keeps collecting them," Charlus winked, rubbing his wife's arm sweetly.

"Really though," Mia said with a frown. This wasn't right. She didn't deserve this love, this open affection. Harry did. She shouldn't be there. "We… Mr. and Mrs. Potter, we couldn't possibly-,"

"No, that won't do," Dorea shook her head. "Call us Charlus and Dorea, or even mum and dad, if you'd like. You're family."

Mia stared at the woman for a long moment before she realized that really, arguing was pointless. So, she smiled weakly and nodded. The muscle relaxer she'd gotten earlier was wearing off, and she could feel herself twitching again. She wished it was unnoticeable, but she saw Dorea exchange a worried look with her husband and knew they had questions.

"Mum!" a voice called. She jerked around to find James and Sirius at the door, both looking equally surprised and pleased. With a start, she realized it was Sirius that had spoken rather than James. The boys ran over and were swept up in tight hugs by their parents. "What are you doing here?"

"Well, Professor Dumbledore called and told us that there were two lost kids in need of a home," Charlus explained, waving his hand at Mia and Fred. The boys turned and they saw understanding dawn.

"Wait… so you'll be like a brother and a sister?" James surmised, grinning. "Good. I was getting tired of this wanker anyways."

"Oi!" Sirius paused. "But that's nice. What house will you be in?"

Dumbledore glanced at the pair briefly. "We'll get them sorted now if you'd like?"

Everyone agreed, and Fred went first. It was quick, and the hat - who was grumpy at being woken - called out the only house that made sense.

"Gryffindor!"

Everyone celebrated, and Mia sat down confidently. She'd really grown to appreciate her placing, and she felt much like she'd earned her Gryffindor title.

The hat fell on her head too, and she only felt a tickle against her mind before it announced her house, just as quick as it had Fred's.

"Slytherin!"

There was silence in the room as Dumbledore slowly removed the hat.

"No!" Mia frowned. "Put it back. It's wrong."

"I'm sorry," Dumbledore shook his head. "But the hat is never wrong."

"I _can't_ be," she breathed. She glanced up to find James and Sirius frowning at her. "I'm not even a good liar!"

Dorea chuckled. "That is not, contrary to popular belief, the only trait of a Slytherin."

"But-,"

"I was a Slytherin," the woman revealed, and Mia paused. Harry's grandmother was a Slytherin? Still, she supposed it made sense considering Harry was almost placed in Slytherin. "Which means I expect you to treat her just as kindly as you would if she were in Gryffindor."

James and Sirius nodded a little.

"More so, because she doesn't know anyone there," their mother continued. "As a matter of fact, I'd like to speak with you two privately."

And then the boys were being pulled away, and Mia looked at Charlus in confusion. He gave her a kind smile.

"Sirius's brother by blood, Regulus, is in Slytherin. They don't get along well, and Sirius is convinced he's a Death Eater. As for James… it's about a girl," the man said with a slight shrug. Mia assumed it had to do with Lily, and possibly Snape, considering what Harry had told her he'd seen in the man's memories.

"I… don't know if I can do it," she sighed. "Be in Slytherin, away from anyone I know."

"I happen to know," Dumbledore said quietly. "Of a curious Slytherin girl that has… moved into the Gryffindor dorms. I'd request you try spending time in your own house, but if it's more than you can handle, you may move into the sixth year Gryffindor dorms."

Mia let out a sharp breath and offered the man a thankful smile. "I appreciate it, Professor."

Fred and Charlus spoke quietly for a few minutes, getting to know each other, before Dorea came back into the room with her sons behind her, looking both scolded and concerned.

"Well," she smiled. "I think it's time we let them get to their dormitories. James said he will escort Fred to Gryffindor and then help Mia find the dungeons."

"Wonderful," Dumbledore stood, giving them all happy smiles.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia sagged behind the group as her mind finally intruded on the silence she'd been trying to maintain. She didn't want to feel that anxiety, that panic, but she couldn't push it away. It was tearing at her stomach and overtaking her mind. She worried her lip between her teeth as she walked, her hand clenched so tightly around her wand that her knuckles were going white. She knew Fred was fitting in fine with the group of friends, a fact that she was grateful for. He didn't have his twin, and she regretted taking him from his best friend.

But as she watched the group, she wondered if she'd be able to befriend them at all. Aside from the fact that Sirius was intimidating and James reminded her way too much of Harry, she was wary of Remus. He had a brilliant, curious mind and the senses of a werewolf. But he'd become something like a friend to her, in the future, and he'd saved her life the night Dumbledore died. She wanted to be friends with him more than anything. He was the least painful reminder of home that she had, aside from Fred.

Still, her thoughts turned back to Sirius and James. She wanted to befriend them, too. If not for her sake, for Harry's.

James was… like his son. He seemed reckless, but he also obviously cared a lot. He seemed like such a mother hen, the position she typically held. Still, she didn't think it would be that hard to become friends with him, if he was able to get past her House. But… Harry. He deserved to be there, not her. Still, she was, and there was no real point in regretting that fact. She could just put memories into a pensieve for him to look at later.

Then her thoughts turned to Sirius again. He was… odd. Just as impatient as he was when he was… alive. He was relentless, but there was a pain missing from his eyes that hurt her heart. The years that had been taken from him while he was in Azkaban hadn't happened yet, and he was so _light_.

He had told her, on the nights when they talked, about the house they were staying in. He never went into much detail, except for telling her of the night he'd been blasted off the tree and arrived at the Potter's, mostly dead but alive enough to save. It had broken her heart then, but it enraged her now that someone would hurt that boy so badly. She wondered vaguely on when he'd be attacked and gasped sharply as she realized it was _soon_. That Christmas. She _had_ to do something, give him some way to Potter Manor. Content with the task, she went back to her thoughts.

Sirius was fiercely protective of anyone he loved, and he loved hard. She knew that. She'd seen it, and she'd even felt it when they'd grown close during the summer before fifth year.

She sighed. She wanted to protect him. To save him, and maybe love him like she'd loved him in that familial way back home.

And then, her mind slipped to the one she was trying to forget about.

Peter Pettigrew.

She didn't know what she could do. She thought the only thing she could do was avoid him, and probably hate him at a distance. She just had so much anger and hatred for the man that had caused her best friend's life to be so awful that she truly didn't think she could continuously be kind to him.

Her breath caught as her body shook again, her knees buckling and nearly sending her to the floor. She felt arms wrap around her at the last second, supporting her as her body shook violently, the muscle relaxer having finally worn off completely.

Sirius gently lowered her to the floor, setting her down so she leaned against him for support. "What happened?" he whispered, looking down at the girl next to him. She let out a sharp breath, breathing in quickly, the cycle repeating as her breathing only quickened. "Hey, it's okay, kitten. You're okay." They sat like that for a long moment as she fought for control over her lungs and, finally, won. After calming down, he spoke again, somehow more gentle than before. "Mia, what happened to you?"

"Death Eater," she whispered. She felt him stiffen. "I know we lied, but we just… can't tell you where we came from. Dumbledore knows the truth, he used Veritaserum."

"A Death Eater did this to you?" Sirius asked, ignoring her other words. They'd assumed she was lying, mostly because she was so bad at it. But if Dumbledore trusted them, then he did, too. She just nodded a little. "Do you know who?" There was hesitation. "Mia, who did this?"

"It's complicated-,"

"It's not complicated," he interrupted, careful not to snap at her. "I know what the after effects of the cruciatus look like. This is it."

"It doesn't even matter," she muttered. "It's over with, and I'm here. Hogwarts is the safest place, that's what I've heard."

"Yeah, safe when you go sleep in a room with a _bunch of Death Eaters_ ," Sirius hissed. "You can't go there."

"Why do you care?" she sighed. "I thought you hate Slytherins."

"No," he said slowly. "I don't hate mum, and I don't hate you."

"Wow, two whole Slytherins," she rolled her eyes. They were quiet for a moment before she sighed. "It only happened… well, I'm not entirely sure, because I was in a small coma for a bit, but I _think_ it was a week ago. I wasn't supposed to do more than sit in a chair and let people do stuff for me, but there was an accident."

"What happened?" Sirius frowned.

"There was... An explosion," she answered slowly. "And we somehow ended up here."

"That's why you had the glass in your chest," he realized, and she nodded.

They were silent for a few minutes, Sirius with his arm around her as she leaned into him, letting him support her.

"Well, sleep in Gryffindor common rooms tonight," he offered. She frowned, about to say no, but he gave her a small smile. "Just to make me feel better. Then tomorrow, we'll get you a supply of whatever potions you need and set you up in Slytherin."

"Okay," she agreed warily. "Do I… have to sleep with the girls?"

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Nah, James'll conjure you a bed and you can sleep with us." She was unsure, but she agreed.

It was another five minutes sitting there silently before Mia spoke again.

"Sirius, can I tell you something without you asking questions?" He nodded eagerly, and she sighed. "When I turned eleven, I was introduced to the magical world. And then I met this boy, Harry. And he was brilliant. And I just… became so _fiercely_ protective of him, and we're always together. When- when I got hurt, we were doing something dangerous. He was going to be killed. He's always in danger. And I… if I'd given in, it would've stopped. But if I gave in, she'd have known who he was and she'd have killed him. So I- I just kept waiting. It was the worst kind of pain I've ever known, Sirius. They think it lasted for hours. She was having so much fun, and she was so good at it. I don't think I can ever get it out of my mind. But _it was all worth it_. She didn't get him. He- he was okay. But now I'm here, and he's gone, and I've just… never really done anything without him. Harry was my brother in any way that's important. Merlin… I know people die. This is a war, or it will be. But he is _so important_. And we all sort of agreed, you know, that if anyone survived, it was him. People died for him. Some of the people he loved most, they've given their lives for him. But now he's gone, and… And I don't know how to do this without him. I don't know how to be alone."

The boy was quiet as she spoke, but when she was done, he reached his hand out in front of her. She stared for a long moment before taking it, intertwining their fingers. He squeezed, and she relaxed.

"I know I'm not him," he whispered. "But I'm here."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Their companionable silence was abruptly broken when they went through the portrait. They shared a look and moved inside to find James standing on a table, screaming.

"-she's got fluffy hair," he described loudly, and Mia snorted. "And… oh, Merlin, I don't know!"

"Potter!" A voice screeched. Silence fell abruptly over the crowd, and Sirius's grin widened. "What the _hell_ do you think you're doing?"

"Uh- I'm trying to find Sirius and our friend-,"

"Oh, we're right here," Sirius laughed. "But we appreciate your deep concern." James's eyes widened as his eyes fell on the pair. He stumbled as he jumped off the table, rushing over to them.

"Sirius! I thought Mrs. Norris ate you!"

"She's a cat, mate."

"But a scary one," James nodded like that was obviously proof that she could easily eat them before turning to Mia. "Mia! Are you staying here?"

"Yeah," Sirius answered for her. "I asked her to."

"Ew," James made a face. "Pads isn't she like… our sister?"

"Merlin," Sirius shook his head. "No, not like that. I just think we should help her get settled in the castle tonight and then tomorrow we can feed her to the snakes."

"Oh, okay." He paused. "Where'd you go?"

"I, um, forgot my wand in Dumbledore's office," Mia lied. Sirius blinked at her. She was an _awful_ liar.

"Anyway," Sirius said, changing the subject before James could push. "I told her she could sleep with us tonight, so I'm gonna go show her around." James nodded, his attention lost to a head of fiery red hair, leaving them to go apologize.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sirius led Mia up to the dorms and was quiet as he conjured her bed, James having been lost to Lily once more. Once it was there, he found some extra pillows and blankets with Remus's things and placed them on the bed for her.

"Thank you, Sirius," Mia smiled softly.

"You should sit down," he told her before staring directly at her, his face serious. "Bellatrix is relentless. It takes longer to heal after her."

Mia stiffened, and he wondered if she was even breathing. "What?"

"Kitten, what you said sounds just like… something she'd do," he told her, hesitating. He didn't want to immediately reveal his deep family traumas, but he recognized it from her words. No one was as good at torture as Bellatrix.

"I- you don't- you can't-," Mia stopped herself, placing herself on the bed gently. "Please don't say anything to anyone."

"Why?" he frowned. "It's not a secret that she's crazy."

"But it's much more complicated than you think," she sighed. "It's part of the stuff I told Dumbledore but can't tell you."

Sirius paused. "Okay. But… can I ask you something?"

She nodded slowly.

"What's on your arm?" He saw her trapped look and placed a gentle hand on her arm. "If it was Bellatrix, I might be able to help."

Against her will, she gave him a hopeful look. "Really?"

His gut twisted. That was as much confirmation as he needed. "I've seen the tools she's used. It's all based on dark magic, but… there are dark healing spells to counter them, typically."

"How can a healing spell be dark?"

"Blood magic."

She paused before waving her hand at the door, locking it and putting a ward up. When that was done, she bit her lip and held her arm out. He glanced at her and, after a nod, gently moved her sleeve up.

There was a beat where he said nothing and didn't react, and then the window exploded in a burst of accidental magic as he yelled "Fuck!"

He was up and pacing immediately while she sat on the bed, waiting for him to calm down.

"My _stupid fucking cousin_ ," he screamed. She put up a shield as he sent a bombarda at the wall in anger. It absorbed the spell easily. He shot off three more spells, one of which Mia was fairly certain was rectumsempra - the tickling charm. He was burning off his anger, she knew, and she let him. She placed a circular shield around him and stood he shot spells in every direction of increasing severity. One flew through the shield, and Mia barely had time to duck before it grazed the side of her neck.

"Ow!" She gasped. "Fuck." Sirius froze, his wand falling to his side as he heard her swear. He turned to look at her, his eyes widening at the sight of blood trickling down into her hair and shirt.

"Oh, god," he whispered, rushing over to her side. "Mia, I'm so-,"

"It's okay," she winced. "Just felt like a cutting hex. I'll live." His wand came up as he began healing her, and she smiled when it felt completely better. "Thanks."

Sirius sat down next to her, sighing. "Why don't you get some sleep? It'll be a long day tomorrow. We can talk in the morning."

She agreed quietly and crawled into bed after removing the charms and wards on the door. Sirius winked at her and gave her a small smile before heading out of the room.

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	2. Everything Sticks

**September 12th, 1976**

Mia woke up the next morning feeling oddly… well rested. She'd been waking with nightmares lately, but she hadn't that night. So, with a small smile, she sat up. She couldn't help but feel excited among the mixture of anxiety.

Her eyes drifted to the end of the bed where she found a trunk with a green S on it and scooted down, opening it with a rush of excitement. Inside, she found robes as well as plenty of muggle clothes, shoes, some random things she'd need like a hairbrush and shower supplies. It was packed full and Mia was fairly certain it had an undetectable extension charm on it. She smiled brightly and picked up some robes, trying to ignore the color, and made her way to the bathroom.

All of the boys were still dead asleep, so she had no issue showering and changing clothes. After that, she shrunk down the trunk and put it in her beaded bag before heading down the stairs to the common room.

She plopped herself down onto the couch, ready to relax a little bit longer before she had to leave the sanctuary she'd known for so many years. She'd have stayed up with the boys, but she didn't really want to be there while they showered and changed, so she laid down and closed her eyes, hoping to rid herself of a small headache she already had.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Moony, get up!" Sirius grinned, pulling the blanket away from his friend with a wave of his wand.

"Fuck off, Padfoot."

"Isn't it a little early in the month for you to have claws?" he joked, ducking as the other Marauder threw a pillow that barely missed his head, instead slamming into James's side behind him and jolting him awake.

"Wake up Wormtail, too!" he yelled back, running for the first shower.

With a deep sigh and after counting to ten, Remus hopped out of bed and retrieved his blanket, which Sirius had thrown on the floor. After a stinging hex to Peter and Fred, he gathered his things to wait for the shower.

"What was that for?" Fred grumbled, pulling himself out of bed. Remus shrugged lamely, nodding at the door to indicate it was Sirius's fault. It seemed none of them, except for a smug Sirius, were very awake.

Ten minutes later, Sirius was out of the bathroom and ready for the day. He sped down the stairs, ready to look for Mia who, halfway through his shower, he'd realized was missing. The search didn't last long as his eyes fell on a figure curled up on the couch, sleeping restlessly. He'd cast an old dreamless sleep spell on her the night before, the potion having been inspired by the spell. It seemed to have worked, and he made a mental note to teach it to her later that day. It was a wonder because it didn't run the risk of poisoning you if you took too much the way the potion did.

He walked over and picked her feet up gently, settling them onto his lap. The movement woke her, and she blinked, confused. "Morning, kitten."

Grumble.

"Little sleepy there?"

Louder, distinctly annoyed grumble.

"Well, you're about to be invaded by a horde of Marauders, so I think it'd be best if you woke up, love."

She grumbled again as she sat up… just before rolling over and settling her head in his lap and closing her eyes again.

"Mia, love, you need to wake up," he said firmly, and she rolled over so he could look at his face and opened her eyes, pouting. He grinned brightly. "Oh, you're _not_ pouting at me right now, are you?"

She screwed up her face and leaned over, waving her hand sleepily. " _Tempus_." A small clock appeared above her empty hand and she scowled, waving it again to get rid of it. Her loose curls fell into her face as she scooted into a sitting position, and she brushed them away absently. "Sirius, I wanted to sleep. I still have another _half hour_." He didn't respond but only stared at her with wide eyes. "What?"

"Was that wandless, kitten?"

"What?"

"Your charm," he raised an eyebrow. "I don't see your wand."

She looked away, blushing. It was well known that only powerful witches and wizards could use wandless magic, and she'd just casually done it. "It's nothing."

"Mia-,"

"Don't tell anyone, yeah?" she asked, her eyes pleading. "I really don't want any… unnecessary attention." He had only begun to nod when Fred came barrelling down the stairs, his particularly mischievous grin on his lips as he slammed onto the couch next to Mia.

"Morning!"

"Fred…"

"FRED GET BACK HERE AND FIX THIS!"

"Sorry dear," the redhead joked, yelling back up the stairs. "Didn't catch that. Maybe be a little _louder_."

"Fred, what did you _do_?" Mia's eyes widened. "Tell me it wasn't a puking pastille."

"Nothing of the sort," the boy promised, which did not calm her nerves one bit. "Just a small charm or two." He glanced at Sirius, laughing. "Sorry, mate. Hope you don't need anything from up there till tonight." He grinned at the other boy brightly as James came barreling down the stairs with a hairbrush stuck to his hand and his glasses lying crookedly on his face.

Remus was next to follow with one shoe on his foot, a sock on the other, and a toothbrush stuck in his teeth. He looked like a confused mixture between amused and heavily annoyed.

Then, to Mia's horror, another boy came down the stairs, albeit slower this time. He seemed to have been sleeping when… whatever happened. There was a pillow stuck to the left side of his face and a blanket was draped along his side and most of his front. The best part, in Mia's opinion, was the tip of his thumb stuck in his mouth.

At the sight of the three of them, Mia, Fred, and Sirius burst into laughter, Sirius leaning on Mia as he stared at his friend's pathetic states. "That's bloody brilliant!" He praised, patting Fred on the back.

A curious thought popped into Mia's head and she stood, moving over to James. She reached up a little - he was very tall - and pulled gently on the hairbrush. It didn't seem to hurt him, but it looked _very_ stuck. She pulled out her wand - Sirius eyeing her the entire time - and silently waved it over James before turning to Remus and finally Peter. When she was done, she grinned brightly at Fred.

"A modified and time activated sticking charm? That is… actually brilliant." Fred's eyes widened at the praise, used to her scolding him for his pranks, but he recovered quickly and nodded.

"Set to my magical signature for release, too! Pretty good, if I do say so myself. Which I do. Pretty good, Freddie!"

Peter silently trudged over to a couched and flopped over on it, apparently deciding sleep would be the best option for the day. Mia didn't blame him for not going back upstairs - she had a feeling the charm was on the room and not the people.

"So, what would happen if I touched someone or… hugged them?" James grinned evilly, eying Mia before he ran after her, enveloping her in a warm hug that just radiated _Harry. He felt like Harry._ She stiffened at the hug, holding her breath.

"Nothing," Fred shrugged. "Nothing more will stick to you guys."

With a sigh of defeat, James moved to release Mia, and she stood there, willing her lungs to work normally, and her smile to fall over her lips again, but they didn't.

"Mia?" Sirius whispered, touching her arm. She forced herself to relax and gave him a small smile.

"I'm… gonna get to class," she breathed. "I need to talk to the Professor first, anyway."

And then she ran out of the common room and flew down the stairs, making her way to DADA as fast as she could. It was her first class - she'd received her schedule while she was getting ready for the day.

She stopped outside of the room to take a few deep breaths and forced herself to smile as she entered the room.

She was glad to see no one was there yet and managed to relax a little. She knew she'd have most of her classes with the Marauders - something she was grateful for - and she didn't want her first class to be one on her own.

"You're a bit early," Mia's wand was out in a second as she turned, but forced herself to put it down immediately. She was at Hogwarts. It wasn't the war. It wasn't the same.

"I'm so sorry," she gasped. "I guess I'm a little jumpy." The man gave her a soft smile as she took in his face and messy, bright red hair.

Of course.

"That's alright," he moved over to her, setting his papers down. "I didn't mean to startle you."

She shifted uncomfortably. "I wanted to get here early and meet you," she explained. "I suppose I'm just a little on edge, being at a new school and all."

"That's perfectly understandable," he promised, smiling at her kindly. "I'm Auror Prewett. Fabian Prewett, that is." She nodded. That made sense. Ginny had told her that she'd had uncles that had died during the war.

"Mia," she offered. "Mia Potter." It was the name they'd all agreed she'd use after she was unwilling to use her own.

"Lovely to meet you, Miss Potter. There's a James Potter here, any relation?"

"I'm a ward of the family," she explained. He nodded slowly. "It was… unsafe to use my last name, so they kindly offered me theirs."

"I see. I'm sorry to hear that," he gave her a kind smile, one that made her heart twist painfully. He was offering his condolences. Still, she thought, they'd have to do something about Fred's hair or it'd be much too obvious.

"Merlin, Mia!" James panted as he ran in the door, nearly slamming into her. Sirius and Remus were just behind him, but Sirius didn't look to be bothered by the running while Remus looked absolutely exhausted.

"Yes, well, I do track," she replied dryly.

"You do _what_?" James frowned at her, confused. She rolled her eyes.

"Why'd you guys run? You've got plenty of time."

Remus frowned at her as Sirius moved next to her, touching her arm gently. "Well, kitten, we thought you had no clue where you were going. Figured you'd get lost."

Mia cursed herself silently. They were right. She shouldn't have known where to go. "Yes, well… I have an incredible sense of direction. I usually just figure things out." She worried her lip between her teeth and cut off any responses as she turned to Fabian again. "Sir, could I see you after class? I have a few questions about the coursework for the year and the week before I got here."

She successfully turned the attention from her slip - aside from Remus, who was still eyeing her warily - as James and Sirius rolled their eyes. Fabian agreed easily, and the boys talked quietly to each other as Mia pulled open her beaded bag and reached her arm in as far as she could, trying to find her books.

"Advanced Potions and Botony…" she frowned, setting it on the table. "No. Where'd they go? I know I put them in here earlier…"

"Mia, what _is_ that?" James asked, nudging her with his arm. He'd sat next to her and had turned around to talk to his friends but was distracted by the growing pile of books on the table.

"My… bag…" she muttered, pulling it open further and going to stick her head in. James grabbed her gently and pulled her away.

"Why don't you just accio whatever you're looking for?" he suggested kindly, and she paused, remembering the time Harry did just that to find the dittany.

"Oh." She did as he said and ducked as three large books flew out of the bag, James grabbed them before they could hit her. He chuckled as he handed them back to her and she set to work on putting her other books away.

"Dark Artifacts of the Soul?" he read, frowning. Mia's head shot up.

"I still have that?" she frowned. "I thought I gave it back to..." _Sirius_.

"Why do you have it in the first place?" Sirius asked, plucking it from her hands. "Mother has this in the library. It's pretty dark, Mia."

"I know, I just…" she sighed. "I'd heard a rumor about Voldemort-," the boys gasped, and she rolled her eyes. "Fear of a name increases fear of a thing itself. I'd suggest you begin using his name, or even just calling him Riddle-,"

"Why Riddle?" Remus wondered. She paused. Would it hurt to tell them?

"Because his name is Tom Marvolo Riddle," she answered. "He was born to a witch and a muggle father. She died giving birth, and he didn't want him. He grew up in an orphanage."

The three boys stared at her.

"You're fucking kidding," Sirius accused, and she shook her head, grabbing another book from the pile to show him. It was a journal, but it detailed the Marvolo/Gaunt family lines from nearly a hundred years before Voldemort and ended with him. She handed it over, and the boys flipped through it, staring with wide eyes. "You're not kidding."

"Why do you have all of this research on him?" Remus asked curiously. She bit her lip softly as she considered the question.

"It's… got to do with how we got here," she admitted. "But I really can't say."

"But… you're a kid, like us," James commented. "You're still in school."

She shrugged. "It's always been like this. School was always dangerous, ever since I was eleven. We just sorta… got used to it."

"You and Fred?" James wondered. She shrugged, looking away to put the last book away.

"Sure."

Soon, other students began filtering in, and the conversation moved back to Quidditch as Mia sat, pondering the conversation. Sirius, though, slipped his hand under his desk and quietly shoved the book in his bag.

Five minutes later, the bell rang, and Fabian stepped in front of the class, giving them all a big smile. Mia felt the stares of the other Slytherins, who had placed themselves firmly across the room from the Gryffindors, but she ignored it. "Alright, everyone! Pair up. We're going to dive right in. One of the most important things if you find yourself facing a Death Eater," James snorted, likely because they were sitting in a room filled with future Death Eaters. "Is to make sure they don't know what you're sending at them. So, we will be working on silent casting today. Only use Expelliarmus and shields. Please find your partners and stand across the room from each other."

James seemed to falter in having chosen Mia as his partner. She gave him a soft smile and nodded at him before glancing at Sirius, who was making a show - however silent - of asking her to be his partner. She laughed brightly. "Okay!" He pumped his fist in the air triumphantly.

Ten minutes later and the entire class had found their places and gotten their roles - who cast which spell - and they were ready to start. Fabian gave them a little more instruction on how to cast silently before he let them be and everyone began.

Some people disarmed quickly, while some shields went up immediately, but Mia knew they were whispering the words. Still, she cast her shield silently and let Sirius work on her, having already agreed to this with him. He was stood next to James while she was across from them, next to Sirius and a Slytherin that she didn't recognize, but they seemed to like, which was… odd to her.

She could see Fabian staring at her oddly out of the corner of her eye, but she ignored it as she cast the shield again. She could really only hold it for so long, and she didn't feel like tiring out her core.

The class was over pretty quickly through the endless casting. She thanked whatever deity she could that there were no run-ins with the Slytherins. She did not want to be an outcast on her first day. Still, she knew some of them had been watching her joke with the Marauders, and she wondered if that alone made her an outcast. Probably.

With a deep sigh, she gathered her books and knocked on the door to Fabian's office, ready to get what she needed and go quickly. He answered the door and waved her in, and she sat with a smile.

"So, you had some questions for me?"

"Yes, well, I had a bit of an… erratic syllabus back home," she winced. It was a good enough way of saying she had a new teacher every year that cared different amounts about them actually learning anything. "I was wondering what you've covered so far and what you'd cover in the next few months? I'm usually pretty ahead, but everything has moved so quickly that I didn't get to read my books like I usually do, and so I'm a little lost."

"You didn't look lost," he commented as he copied some papers with his wand. "You've done silent casting before, I take it?"

She shrugged. "I had to learn."

"Why's that?" he looked up at her, a kind but curious smile on his face. She shrugged lightly.

"It's been a long few years," was all she said.

"This is what I've planned so far. But Mia, if you don't mind me saying, you're already leagues ahead of everyone in your class. I'm not sure why you'd need any of this," he spoke softly as he moved in front of his desk and leaned against it. "May I ask you a question?"

"Sure," she said, though she wasn't sure if she wanted him to. He was an Auror and she thought Ginny had said he'd been a damn good one, too.

"Are you in trouble?" he asked. She blinked. "Is that why you're here?"

"No… I'm fine."

"Mia, I hope you know you're a very bad liar," he answered, and she breathed out heavily.

"I'm safe when I'm here," she tried. "I'm fine."

He tried to reply, but someone knocked on the door, and they both looked up.

"Mione?"

 _Fred._

"Fred! No, I'll be-," she cut off as he entered the room, and his smile fell as his eyes landed on his uncle.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

He'd seen pictures of his uncles plenty of times. He remembered one in particular, one in Hogsmeade when Fabian had been playing Professor during the war. He remembered his Uncle Fabian holding Percy in his arms as he laughed at Bill and Charlie's antics. He remembered that it was the happiest picture he'd ever seen. He'd never seen someone look more content than his Uncle had at that moment in the picture.

But now… Now his uncle looked worried, he looked like he was trying and failing to save a lost puppy.

Which led his gaze to Hermione, who looked frustrated. With him.

There was a moment of silence that lasted way too long, a silence that hurt his ears and made him want to scream if only to end it. Finally, Fabian cleared his throat, looking at Fred in confusion, though he addressed Hermione… or Mia, apparently.

"Miss Potter, do you know him?"

"Um… yes, yes, I do. This is… Fred," she finished lamely.

"Would you care to explain…" he waved his hand at Fred, and the point was made. The hair.

"I'm… not sure that'd be a good idea, sir," Mia said, rubbing her face with her hand. "I'm not sure we're allowed to." They had, of course, spoken to Dumbledore about telling people. He'd discouraged it, but he hadn't outright demanded they didn't. It gave them some leeway, but Mia rather agreed with Dumbledore - it was a bad idea.

"Uncle Fabian," Fred breathed. Mia glared at him.

"Are you fucking serious?"

"Uncle?" Fabian's eyes widened as he looked between the two of them.

Fred shot Mia a pleading look, but she merely shrugged and sat down again, crossing her arms over her chest. "You messed this up. Fix it."

Fabian glanced at Mia, but he quickly noticed the severity she held in regards to the situation and blinked. After a moment, his wand was raised, albeit hesitantly.

"Look, Fred, now he's _pointing his wand at us_. Because I couldn't have guessed _that_."

"Who are you?" Fabian demanded loudly.

"I'm… Fred." He took a deep breath, plastering on the same happy go lucky smile he always wore, a fact that only annoyed Mia more. "Fred Weasley, twin brother of my dearest George, but the wanker was too _lazy_ to take a stroll through the seventies, so he stayed home. I'll tell ya, it's pretty cozy here, aside from Voldepants first reign of terror."

"Frederick!" Mia snapped. He winced a little.

"...what?"

Mia gave the man a strained smile. His wand had fallen to his side again, and he looked utterly lost. "We weren't really meant to say anything. It's not… safe."

There was another long moment of awkward silence before Fabian set his wand on his desk and sighed. "What are you saying? Who are you?"

Mia saw the pleading look on Fred's face and considered it for a moment. "Only if he takes an Unbreakable Vow first."

Fred turned to his uncle, who was already considering the request. After a few moments, he nodded, to Mia's surprise.

"Really?" He nodded shortly and wiped the uncertain look off of his face, and Mia pulled out her wand, waving Fred over so he could seal the Vow. She'd make it short and simple.

She grasped Fabian's forearm, and he held hers. Fred raised his wand above them as she began speaking. "Do you, Fabian George Prewett, promise to never reveal the secrets told you in confidence today without clear permission from myself?"

"I do."

Mia nodded, and the pair felt silver tongues of flame shoot from the wand and into their arms, sinking into their skin as the Vow accepted his promise. Mia sighed in relief. She was desperate for someone to talk to, even though it'd only been a day.

"We're from the future."

"Fred!" Mia gasped. "Couldn't we have eased him into this?" she berated, but he simply shrugged at her.

"You're… what?" He waited as if waiting for them to finish the joke, but the ending never came. "The future," he said slowly. "And you said your name was… Fred?"

"Frederick Gideon Weasley. "My brother is George Fabian Weasley, but like I said, he stayed behind."

"You two… meant to come here?"

"Well, no," Mia shook her head.

"Mione and I were in a small accident, and we ended up here."

"Would you stop calling me that?" she sighed. "It's not my name anymore, and I hate that nickname anyways."

"It's not my fault," Fred shot back, rolling his eyes. "You just up and picked a new name? Who does that? And you didn't even warn me, so _how_ am I supposed to get used to that? Mia is so close to Mione!"

"By two letters, Fred!"

"It's close enough for me to forget, though! I thought you hated nicknames, Mia just sounds like a nickname."

"Would you two stop yelling?" Fabian cut in, taking a deep breath. Mia flushed and gave him an apologetic smile while Fred calmed down, his temper matching that of his younger brother.

"I'm sorry," she offered. "But like he so _bluntly_ said, we're from a different time. Er, 1998, to be exact. It was an accident, really. I'd gotten rid of my time turner _years_ ago, but then we had to go on the run and I stole it back from McGonagall, and really it _did_ come in handy, but time is tricky, so it's not like I used it constantly, but I liked it, and then after I got hurt, it was just so comforting to touch it, you see. But then I got a little too close to a game of exploding snap, and Fred _lost_ and he tried to push me out of the way, or get himself out of the way, I don't know, but it blew up and the time turner got hit and it exploded and we ended up here."

Fabian was quiet as he took in her rambling speech for a moment before he spoke again, confusion on his face. "Exploding snap blew up your time turner?"

"Yes, I was confused by it, too," she admitted, having put plenty of thought into it during class. "But I think when I fell in…" she paused, unable to say _Malfoy Manor_. "I think there was a crack in the glass that I didn't notice. I didn't really… I wasn't able to inspect it afterward, either. I usually have wards around it to protect it in case something happens to me, but I was… temporarily unable to do magic," she shuddered. "And so I think it got hurt, and then the small explosion was just enough to break through the glass, and when the glass broke, the sands of time falling everywhere was just as explosive. I'm pretty sure that's why the trip hurt so bad, aside from previous injuries. It was all just a bunch of accidents, really."

"How'd you get hurt?"

Mia froze. "We… got captured, by some death eaters. I'm fine now."

"How long ago was that?"

"I don't really know?" she sighed. "Maybe a week ago. I was in a coma for a few days. I've only been up for maybe three days."

Fabian stared at her. "Shouldn't you go see Madame Pomfrey?"

"I did," she assured him. "She cleared me."

Fred snorted but said nothing to correct her.

"So… what questions do you have?" Mia asked, trying to shift the conversation off of her. It was still incredibly hard for her to think about, much less talk about.

Fabian turned to Fred. "You said I'm your uncle."

"Yep," he replied, popping the p. "You're mum's brother. Me and Georgie, we're not born yet here, that's all… next year."

"George and I, Fred."

"You and George what?"

"No, your grammar."

"What about it?"

"It's _wrong_."

"Oi! My grammar is perfect!"

"Do you two ever stop?" Fabian sighed, looking between them.

"Not really."

"No."

"Okay, say I believe you," the professor said, turning back to the conversation. "You're my nephew, I get that. But who are you?" he nodded at Mia.

"I'm a friend of the family," she shrugged. "I met your youngest nephew, Ron, in school and he's one of my best friends. Ginny, the youngest, is probably my only girl friend. I became friends with Fred and George in school, too. Bill wrote me letters in my third year, and I met Charlie in my fourth. But Percy's a bit of a prat."

"A _bit_ of a prat?" Fred asked, eyes wide. "Have you _met_ him?"

"So, why'd he call you Hermione?" Fabian interrupted, smiling warmly at them.

"It's my real name," she shrugged. "But I took the name Mia because I'll be born in a couple of years, and on the Hogwarts list. I thought it'd be a good idea if I changed it."

Fabian thought for a couple moments. "So, there's an accident, you get checked out by Madame Pomfrey, talk to Dumbledore, find a family and enroll in school and… what? What'll you do now?"

Mia and Fred exchanged uncertain looks before Mia began speaking, slowly and very carefully, as if she had to pick the exact right words. "Time… is fickle. Things happen because they've _already_ happened. So us being here, it's already happened in our time. So… we do what we have to do to make sure that our time," she pointed to Fred and herself, "happens."

"So, you're saying… everything is inevitable?" Fred's eyes widened as he turned on her. "Hermione, why didn't you tell me this before?" Fred's anger was evident, and Mia winced. Fabian looked between them, suddenly very lost. He didn't understand it, not unless…

"There's a war." Suddenly it made a little more sense to Fabian. "There's a war going on, and you," he spoke gently. "You seem to be leagues ahead of everyone else. Is… is the war still going on in twenty years?" His voice was a whisper now, and it seemed that his question was more of a statement, like he knew the answer but was afraid of it. Mia gave a small, jerky nod, and Fabian swore loudly, his hands going behind his head in frustration.

"It… it stops, for thirteen years, but he comes back. Harry - he's my best friend, my brother - and Ron and I, we were… looking for something, something we need before we can end the war. We left after Bill's wedding. The ministry is overrun. It's… I think it's almost over. We're just missing three of these objects, and then we can end it forever."

"And do I die?" Fabian asked, staring straight at her.

She shook her head. "Dumbledore sent you on a mission for the Order, and we haven't seen you in months. He said… he said it'd be that way, but everyone worries, you know. He was just surprised." She felt sick lying to him, but she couldn't tell him the truth.

"Well, it hasn't happened yet, so I'm right here. Still, my next class is about to begin. We'll talk another time, yeah?" He stood and walked behind his desk, handing her the papers he'd gotten for her earlier. "If you need anything else, just come to my office after class and I'll see what I can do."

They accepted the obvious dismissal and left quietly, Mia thanking him for the material. They walked together silently, Mia grateful for her free period, and made their way to the Gryffindor common room to talk, a place they knew would be empty at this time of day. When they got there, the room was empty, and they sat down to talk. Peter was nowhere to be seen, likely back in his room.

Fred turned to her with confusion and hurt written across his face. "What the _fuck_ Hermione?" He shouted at her, ignoring her wince. They were sat close enough that the volume hurt, but he didn't care. "We could have told him and saved both of them!"

"No, we couldn't! Weren't you listening to me? It doesn't matter what we do. Nothing will change. I experienced it third year with the time turner. Sirius was _meant_ to be saved, or it wouldn't have worked - he'd have been Kissed. I… I know who they are, and I am so sorry, Fred, but… they have to die."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Remus paused as he pushed past the Fat Lady, entering the common room slowly. He heard someone shouting angrily. At the volume, he turned to leave until he heard another voice, this one sounding… broken.

"...don't you understand?... experienced it third year…. Sirius was meant to be saved… Kissed… I am so sorry… have to die."

Remus's eyes widened as he recognized the voice, having spoken to her only a little bit ago. _Mia_.

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	3. Black, White, and Grey

**September 12th, 1976**

Mia spent all day in the common room after Fred stormed out, hiding from everyone else. He was furious with her, and she knew that, but there was nothing they could do. History said they died, so they had to. Still, she understood his anger and could only hope he calmed down. She hated him being angry with her - he was all he had of their time, and the only person she could talk to.

She read until dinner, when she decided she was too hungry to skip another meal. She'd shed her robes before lunch, when students would inevitably wander through to pick up forgotten items or even take a nap. With a sigh, she stuffed her book back in her bag and walked out of Gryffindor Tower, thanking every founder and deity she knew of that she didn't run into the Marauders.

She took the long way round, through the dungeons, hoping to avoid anyone. She wasn't entirely sure where she'd be sitting, but she knew she had to eat, and students weren't allowed in the kitchen, especially during meals.

After a few minutes, she found herself walking past the mostly empty dungeons to the Great Hall. She kept to herself as she passed a group of Slytherins, but her steps faltered as she reached an alcove where two students were looming over another, who was on the ground with some nasty cuts on his face. She recognized the position easily, having been in it herself during her early time at school before she learned to fight back. She pulled her wand and shot the Bat Boogey hex at both of them before they even noticed her. When they turned around to yell, or maybe go to the infirmary, she saw they wore Gryffindor ties.

Shaking her head, she just stared at them. "Madame Pomfrey can fix that, but I am disgusted. Gryffindors. Aren't you supposed to be courageous? That was just cowardly, cornering him and attacking him, two on one. You don't deserve to be in that house." One of them looked like they wanted to argue, or maybe curse her, so she waved her hand, putting up a shield before they could do anything. "Go to the infirmary - that's going to get worse over time." With that, the pair of them ran off, and she waved her hand again to lower the shield.

Mia kneeled before the student, holding out her hand. "Are you alright? I can't believe they'd do that. It's despicable." She shook her head sadly, sincere in her worries. "I can't imagine how they got into Gryffindor." She raised her hand to heal his cuts, but he frowned and shoved it away.

"Don't bother. What do you want?"

Mia blinked. "What do I… what?"

"What do you want from me?" the boy stood up - not the easiest feat, it seemed - and stared at Mia warily, though he also looked vaguely annoyed.

"Nothing?" she frowned. "I hate bullies, and fighting." She sounded uncertain and, while he was distracted, raised her hand again and pointed it at his face, twisting her wrist abruptly. " _Episkey_!" She smiled as she heard the telling crack of the bone snapping back into place. " _Scourgify_!" She cleaned the blood off of his face so she could see his injuries more clearly and winced slightly. They hadn't been going easy on him. "You should get some Dittany on those cuts before they start to heal, or they'll- gah!" She grunted as he shoved her into the alcove and glared at her.

"Stop helping me, Little Lion," he snarled at her, and she paused, not because of his words - though she was shocked he assumed she was Gryffindor - but rather because she could see him. She stared at him, dumbstruck. He had long, obsidian hair tied back with a leather tie. His eyes were a sharp, silver grey mixture that pierced her soul in an odd way, and reminded her vaguely of Sirius. He had sharp, aristocratic features that were twisted into a sneer, but she felt like it was forced, like it didn't fit quite right.

And then suddenly, a name fell into her mind and she was _certain_ she was right.

"Regulus Black." His name was smoke escaping her lips, and there was a painful sadness in her eyes that confused Regulus.

"Do I know you?" His words were a little softer, but they were still demanding and confused.

"I… No, you don't." _But I know you. I know of you. I know that you have a good heart, and I know you died trying to stop a war that you shouldn't have been a part of. I know that I want to save you, Regulus._

"Then why did you help me?"

"Because you…" _deserve saving_. "You were in trouble." She smiled at him a little.

"I was fine, Little Lion." The edge was gone from his voice, and she shook her head a little.

"I- no, I'm not… I'm actually in Slytherin," she admitted with a shrug. He considered it for a moment.

"You've got a Lion in you," he said simply, and she blinked.

"Um… you need dittany," she nodded to herself, pulling open her bag and shoving her entire arm in until she reached the potions. She shuffled around until she felt the small vial and plucked it up, pulling her arm out. "Aha! I knew I had more in here… Almost out, but still." She opened it and dropped some on his face quickly, watching the cuts sizzle as they healed together. After a few seconds of grumbling, he straightened up to watch her drop the vial back in very carefully, putting it back exactly where she found it before turning to him again.

"Why do you have Dittany in your bag? Couldn't you just go to Madame Pomfrey?"

"Um…" she shrugged. "Emergencies." She bent down and picked up his fallen books, her eyes landing on the one on top. "Advanced Potion Making?"

"Yeah, I skipped a year," he shifted slightly under her gaze but she soon looked at the book again with a sigh.

"I can't get it. I'm great in all of my classes, but… I've never been able to get it. I'm usually a little lost, especially since I just transferred here and I'm behind, which is rare, mind you."

He gave her a crooked smile that made her smile and her hearts race. It looked a little like Sirius's smile, but this one was far less common, she was sure. "I can help you out, if you'd like. I don't have a lab partner, so we can sit together and talk you through. I'm a little bit ahead, anyway."

Mia grinned brightly. "That sounds great. Thank you."

He gave her a small smile. "I never caught your name."

"Mia."

"Just Mia?" he raised an eyebrow and she hesitated.

"If I tell you, you won't change your mind, will you?" he blinked at her and shook his head slowly. "Mia Potter."

"Potter."

"Yes, well… I'm their ward. There was an accident, and it wasn't… safe, so I had to move here, and my name is unsafe."

"Okay," he accepted the lie. "Why aren't you wearing your robes?"

She shrugged. "I had a fight with my friend and spent the day in Gryffindor Tower. It was empty and I've not been to Slytherin common rooms yet, so…" She smiled slightly. "I didn't want them to see me and hex me or something."

"Good thought," he rolled his eyes.

"I don't… really understand the rivalries between the two, honestly. Everyone thinks every single Slytherin is Dark, and everyone thinks all Gryffindors are good, but that's not the case."

Regulus shrugged lightly, plucking his books from her hands. "They're old prejudices. It doesn't matter if they're true - everyone's gonna think they are, anyways."

"Do you?"

Regulus considered her for a moment. "No."

"Good," she grinned. He watched her for a long moment. Her loose curls had been pulled up into a tight, high ponytail and waved behind her head as she spoke animatedly.

"Would you like me to show you around the common room?" he asked with a genuine smile. "Everyone should be at dinner, so it'll be empty."

"I'd love that," she smiled so bright he thought it might light up the entire castle. Still, he offered her his arm and the two set out on the short walk to the common rooms.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

James frowned, staring at Remus like he was insane. "Wanna try that again, Moony?"

"I'm serious, Prongs, I think they're Death Eaters!"

"No, Moony, _I'm_ Sirius," the boy said. Remus shot him a look, but he just smiled brightly.

" _Why_ do you think they're Death Eaters?"

"Okay, look, it's just suspicious. They appeared out of nowhere in the Forbidden Forest in the middle of the day, Mia can't even tell us what her injuries are and she _lied_ about them-,"

"Actually," Sirius sighed. "She told me."

"What?" James frowned. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"Because it's really serious, and I can't," he shrugged. "I won't share something like that without her permission."

"But you trust her?"

"Yes," Sirius nodded firmly.

"But still," Remus sighed. "Dumbledore had to kick us out of his office so they could talk privately-,"

"Exactly!" Sirius sighed. "Dumbledore talked to them himself. Don't you think he'd know if he let Death Eaters in?"

"Not necessarily," James admitted. "Snape is here, isn't he? And the Carrows, and Avery, and McNair, and Dolohov, and pretty much every pureblood Slytherin in the school."

"See? So, they could've tricked him. But that's not all," Remus told them, continuing. "Mia knew exactly where she was going this morning, remember? She ran to the DADA room and her only excuse was a good sense of direction."

"Maybe it was a coincidence, Moony," Sirius sighed.

"Maybe," Remus nodded. "But then I went back to the common room to rest during my free period, and I heard them talking. It was bad. Mia sounded… she didn't sound good. Fred was angry. She said, 'Sirius was meant to be saved,' and then… She said someone had to die."

Silence fell in the room as James and Sirius pondered over their friend's words.

"Are you sure?" Sirius whispered. He was a raging mixture of emotions, but more than all, he was confused.

"Dead sure."

"Do you _have_ to phrase it like that?"

"Shut up, Prongs, this is serious," Remus sighed, realizing his second mistake of the conversation.

"No, I'm Sirius. Geez, I thought you guys knew this stuff."

"Not the time!" Remus snapped. Sirius sighed, shrugging.

"Look, I trust them. I know it sounds bad, but I'm sure they have a perfectly good explanation, Moony. If you're really so worried, we can ask them later and demand answers." With a sigh, Remus reluctantly agreed, and they sat back and ate the dinners that James snuck up from the kitchens before dinner had begun.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

After touring the common rooms and, hopefully, establishing some sort of friendship with Regulus, Mia snuck into the kitchens and asked for a plate of food, which was happily given to her by a cheery house elf. She took it to the seventh floor and paced, asking for a room to relax in until she was ready to pick up her stuff and settle into her dorm.

When she walked in, she grinned brightly. It was a library with a large couch and some chairs, a wicker basket full of blankets, throw pillows scattered everywhere, and a roaring fire. It was perfect, and she settled in with her dinner and a book about theoretical transdimensional travel that had been written by a witch but published in the muggle world.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

It had been three hours, and Mia was nowhere to be seen. James had begun to wonder if it really had been a fluke and Mia had gotten lost when Fred finally walked into the room, frowning to himself.

"Have you seen Mia?" James asked him. "We wanted to talk to the two of you."

"No."

"Well, will you help us find her?"

"No."

"Er, James?" Sirius called. "She's not here."

"I know that, bloody idiot, that's what I'm saying."

"No, she's not _here_." Sirius waved a paper in the air and James's eyes widened. Fred looked over and saw what he was looking at.

The Marauder's Map.

Suddenly, he knew where she was. "If I take you to her, will you let me leave and go to bed?" He asked quietly.

"Swear it on Padfoot's grave," James nodded firmly while his brother whacked him with the Map.

"Hey!"

"Shut up, Pads," James rolled his eyes. Fred, however, began walking, impatient.

After a short walk, Fred began pacing in front of a tapestry, and the Marauders stared at him.

"Um, Fred?"

After two more turns around, a door appeared, and Fred smirked. "C'mon. Let's make sure she's in there, and then I'm leaving."

"Aye, aye, Captain."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia had fallen asleep with the book on her lap. It was a particularly deep sleep, because she didn't hear the door creak open. She didn't hear the quiet footsteps coming toward her. What she did hear, however, was some loud cursing and someone crashing to the floor.

Standing up quickly, Mia's hand waved around the room, disarming all four people immediately. She caught all of them in her left hand and stared. "Oh."

"What was that for?" Sirius pouted, picking himself up off the floor.

"I… I didn't know it was you guys," she sighed.

"Merlin," James gasped. "That was silent and wandless, Mia!"

"What do you guys want?" she looked between them before her eyes settled on Remus, finally noticing the cool detached look. "What's going on? Why is Fred here?"

"Gee, thanks."

"No, you prat," she rolled her eyes. "You're mad at me. I don't care if you're… ugh." She gave up and rubbed her face with her free hand, still holding their wands hostage. She didn't trust Remus, not right now. She was certain that if he had his wand, it'd be pointed at her.

"You two have some talking to do. And I'll need you to show me your left arms." And it clicked for her. Sure, she had been a little sloppy in covering her tracks, but why on earth would he think they were Death Eaters?

She lifted her sleeve carefully, shifting the wands to her left hand. She shoved the clear skin at him, proving herself. After a second, Fred did the same, and Remus relaxed a little bit.

"Okay. Who has to die?" He asked bluntly, taking note of the shocked and pained look on Mia's face and the angry one on Fred's.

"How did you… We were alone!" _Great defense there. He totally trusts you now._

"I have good hearing. Now answer the question!"

Mia glanced at Fred, and he did something he would regret.

"I wonder what would show on the Map if you were out of the room, _Mia_." His voice was disturbingly calm for the amount of anger it held, and her eyes widened, realizing what he was trying to do.

"Wha… Map? How do you know about that?"

"You literally waved it around in the common room," Fred answered easily.

"What do you mean, though? Are you saying this is why we couldn't find her? Because she was in here?" Fred nodded as Mia looked on in horror. What would happen if they found out?

And then, while she was distracted, Remus reached over, hitting her wrist gently but still hard enough that she dropped the wands in her hand. He grabbed them all swiftly before they hit the ground and handed them back out, except for Fred. He pocketed the dark wand and turned to Mia with his own pointed at her.

"Would you mind stepping out of the room for a minute, Mia?"

"Yes, I actually would mind, Remus."

"I'm sorry, but I must insist."

Mia warred within herself, debating, but in the end she refused to fight him. So, she turned and reluctantly made her way to the door. She turned to look at Fred. "I hope you know… whatever comes after this, it's your fault." And then she opened it and stepped out.

Remus pulled out the map, opening it up after tapping his wand on it and stared down at it.

"So, what's it say, Remus?"

"Who is… Hermione Granger?"

Mia silently walked back into the room, closing the door behind her. She moved back to the couch and sat down, all of the boys following her. Sirius sat next to her as she curled into the corner, and she gave him a small, weak smile.

"What I am about to tell you… you probably won't believe," she sighed. The boys looked between them and then turned back as she began. "My name is Hermione Granger. I got my Hogwarts letter when I was eleven. I'm the brightest witch in school. I mastered silent casting in third year and wandless magic in fifth. I left school last year, after my sixth year, to help with the war."

"That doesn't make sense, Mia. You just started here," James protested softly.

"I was born on September 19th, 1979."

There was silence for a few beats before Sirius spoke. "That's… impossible."

"I assure you, it's not impossible. Do you remember the glass I had in my chest?" The three nodded, and she took a deep breath. "I was wearing something called a time turner around my neck. Long story short, it exploded, and we got sent back in time."

"I've read about those," Remus said slowly. "They contain the sands of time. But they're only supposed to go back a few hours."

"Exactly," Mia nodded. "This was an accident. I have a few theories on the intricacies of it, but no solid proof on them."

"So… what were you talking about, in the common room?" Sirius asked curiously.

Mia tensed. "There's a war. People die. Voldemort-," everyone in the room, bar Mia, flinched and she rolled her eyes. "Kills a lot of people. Fred saw someone, someone we know dies. And we argued. We just… we _can't_ save people. That's not how time works. When he and I were talking, I mentioned Sirius…" she glanced at him, and he looked at her curiously. "We know you. In my third year, you were in danger. My best friend, Harry, and I saved you using my time turner. It's the only legal form of time travel. I was using it for my studies to take all the classes available - Professor McGonagall got it for me. But the only reason we were able to save you is because _we already did_. Time isn't malleable, not really. It's all… fixed. So even though we know some people are going to die… we can't…" she took in a sharp breath, trying to keep it together. "We can't save them, no matter how much we want to."

"You saved me?" Sirius stared at the girl, wide eyed. "I owe you a life debt, kitten." He didn't sound bothered by it, but Mia tensed.

"No… you don't. "Not now. You did in the future. Just as I owe Remus a life debt in the future, maybe two of them, not that he'll let me do anything about it…" She trailed off, annoyed at the reminder, but Remus's eyes widened.

"What do you mean, you owe me a life debt? What happened?"

Mia looked at him, lifting her shirt up to show an ugly, deep scar on her ribs, just below her bra. "June 18th, 1996, my friends and I fought Death Eaters in the Department of Mysteries." Her voice shook slightly at the memory. It was one of the worst nights of her life, only rivaled by her time at Malfoy Manor. "Dolohov hit me with a curse that would've killed me so that he could restrain me."

She kept her eyes steady as she lowered her shirt but pushed the side of her pants down just a little. "June 31st, 1997, Bellatrix threw another dark curse at me," she avoided Sirius's furious stare as she motioned to her hip where another angry scar was unmistakable. "Remus pulled me out of the way before it could hit me too badly. I'd have died slowly and painfully if he hadn't."

Sirius touched her hip gently and she blinked as he did. He still looked angry, but also sorrowful, like he wished he could've stopped it. "Bellatrix is despicable. She's the worst I've ever met, and she's hurt you twice?"

Mia winced as the others looked at her sharply. "Someday she'll get what she deserves." Sirius was silent as she gently pushed his hand away and crossed her legs, hugging a pillow to her chest. "The world isn't all bad. Hogwarts is great when something isn't trying to kill Harry, and the wizarding world is nice, forgetting the bigoted pureblood traditions and values. The war was gone for years, you have to understand. Everything was light for the first few years I knew it."

"I know him," Sirius stated, looking at her still. He hadn't looked away since she'd begun speaking and she resisted the urge to squirm.

"Huh?"

"You said I went back into battle, after Harry. I know your best friend."

"I… yes," she answered lamely.

"How?"

"Padfoot, maybe now's not the time," James suggested gently, and Mia nodded.

Remus shook his head, frowning. "I just… I don't get it. You're from the _future_. How can you two accept this so easily?" He stared at his friends as Sirius shrugged.

"Some of the things she and I talked about last night just make more sense now," he answered, referring to her reluctance to let him attack his cousin.

"Yeah, it kinda makes sense."

Remus threw his hands in the air. "But they haven't _proven anything_."

Mia stared at him. "You want proof?" He nodded quickly. "You're a werewolf, and they're animagi, along with Pettigrew."

"And you… aren't afraid?" Remus asked carefully.

"Merlin, mate, get over yourself. You're a little extra furry once a month, but otherwise you're just a bookworm with a pension for pranks." Fred grinned at the Marauders. "Oh, we know so much."

"Fred," Mia warned. "Be careful." She sighed as he rolled his eyes. "But I'm going to work on getting us back. We can't stay here. Can you imagine if Voldemort-," four flinches "Honestly boys, it's a name! Get over it!" She huffed before continuing. "Anyway, can you imagine what he would do if he knew there was someone with invaluable knowledge sitting right under his nose?"

"Okay…" Remus nodded. "So we get you two home."

"Yes, but I've got some… other things I have to do, too."

"Fine, okay, but we'll help you."

Mia nodded warily. She wasn't sure she could do it alone anyway.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"I had an idea," Mia looked at Fred. They were still a bit rocky, but she honestly didn't feel like spending energy being mad at him, and he seemed to agree.

The five of them had decided to spend the night in the Room, since it was too late for her to introduce herself to her dorm mates, she had nowhere to go, and they refused to leave her. When the decision had been made, the Room had replaced the bookshelves with five large and comfortable beds, something Mia was extremely grateful for.

At about midnight, Mia had gotten up for hot cocoa and another muscle relaxer as the last one wore off early. They were now seated in the big chair, which could've fit three teenagers, talking quietly.

"That doesn't sound good," Fred joked.

"This is serious, Fred," Both of them waited, out of old habit from their time at Grimmauld Place that had been renewed by a younger Sirius, for the usual joke, but relaxed when it never came. Mia continued. "I think I found a way for Fabian and Gideon to survive."

Fred choked on his drink. "What?"

Mia patted his back gently and nodded. "We need to break into the DOM again. Preferably tonight."

"Sign me up," the redhead grinned brightly.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Fred wasn't as enthusiastic as he had originally been. No, the idea of breaking into the DOM was a bad one at best, a suicidal one at worst. It hadn't been hard to leave Hogwarts and it was even easier to break into the Ministry. The DOM was guarded, but not very well. Mia had said it was guarded as well as the Ministry had been in the future.

What had broken his enthusiasm had been finding the Veil. Mia had been marking the doors as she went, leaving a note on each of them as she tried to find the Time room. She had opened the door to the Veil, and Fred felt sick. Which, he guessed, was better than how Mia was doing. She stared blankly at the Veil, a cold look in her eyes. She closed the door softly and marked it before moving on.

Five doors later, they found it. It was… less than impressive. It was literally just a room filled with a bunch of time turners in bins. Still, Mia surged forward and began sifting through them, glancing at them for a moment before putting them back and moving on.

"Hermione? What are you looking for, exactly?"

She grumbled a bit, leaning over into a large bin with her head and arm inside before standing up, her arm in the air victoriously. "I found it! The runes are special. I wanted to see if they had a rune for protection. They did." She waved a small hourglass at him and dropped the chain around her neck. "Can you apparate us out? I'm not feeling up to it."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"So, what are you gonna do with it?"

They had slipped back into the Room silently and settled back down on the chair. He was facing her with an excited smile on his lips.

"I found a spell after requesting some books," she said, waving her hand to the small stacks of books the Room had provided. "I'm not sure how the Room had it, since time turners are so new in this time, but it did. The spell helps you remove and place the sands of time from the hourglass. If I can get two out safely, I can place it in something else, like a locket, and make a portkey. See? A timekey! And then, when they're attacked, they can just activate it like a portkey and they'll be sent to the future. Theoretically. Your mum will lose them for about eighteen years, but getting them back eventually is better than never."

"Blimey, Hermione, that's… that's bloody brilliant!" She grinned brightly at the praise. "How do you know it'll work?"

"Well, the sands are extremely volatile, so I think that when they're mixed with a spell, it'll be as extreme as an explosion. I just have to be careful setting the date."

Fred nodded before pausing, frowning to himself.

"What's wrong?"

"Well… it's just… couldn't that get _us_ home too?"

Mia stared.

"Oh. _Oh_. They could!" She grinned. "You're right! Merlin, Fred, we can go home!"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **Septmber 13th, 1976**

Mia stayed up all night studying the time turner, but by six in the morning, she decided to grab her things and make her way to Slytherin common rooms.

She was surprised to find everyone in her dorm awake when she got there, and she smiled brightly at them. "Hello! I've just transferred."

"You're Mia Potter," one girl said, raising an eyebrow. She nodded slightly. "I'm Marlene McKinnon."

Mia recognized that name. Sirius had told her about Marlene.

"Emmaline Vance," a voice called, and she looked up as a girl stepped out of the bathroom. She knew Emmaline, in the future. She was in the Order.

"Where's everyone else?" she wondered, looking around the curiously empty room. The girls shrugged.

"There's a lot of sixth year girls, so we have an extra dorm this year. It'll just be the three of us," Marlene answered kindly. Mia nodded and set her stuff down at the end of an empty bed. "Where'd you transfer from?"

"Oh," she blinked, looking over at them. "I was homeschooled."

"Why the change?" Emmaline wondered as she brushed out her hair gently. Mia shrugged, looking away from them.

"It just wasn't safe at home anymore."

They were all quiet for a few moments as Mia got settled. She was slightly uncomfortable, but she knew both of these girls were at least loyal to the light, which made her relax.

A sharp gasp brought her out of her thoughts, and she whipped around to see Emmaline covering her mouth with wide eyes of horror. "Mia, what _is_ that?"

She blinked, following her gaze until it fell on her arm, where her sleeve had fallen up while shoving things in her bag. Her gut twisted as Marlene's attention fell to it as well.

"Great first impression," she sighed. Marlene stomped over, grabbing her arm gently to look at it angrily.

"Where the hell did you get that?"

"A Death Eater," she sighed, gently pulling her arm away from the girl.

"That's why you're not safe at home?" Emmaline whispered, horror lacing her voice. Mia just nodded, letting her assume. "Oh, Mia…"

"I'm fine," she sighed. "But we'll be late for class." And with that, she ducked out of the way and left the room, not running but quickly enough that they couldn't ask questions. They didn't follow, and she was grateful for that. She felt sick as she made her way through the halls. She was right though - it had gotten late, and it was nearly eight by the time she reached potions.

She glanced around the room and rolled her eyes as she noticed the boys missing - a fact which was quickly remedied as the Marauders barreled into the room, slamming into her and nearly sending her to the floor. Her descent was only stopped by a pair of arms catching her, and she smiled gratefully as she straightened. "Thank you, Regulus."

"They do that every day," he warned, pulling her over to her seat as the boys righted themselves. "At least, they have so far."

"You'd think they'd learn how to set an alarm clock," she sighed. He gave her a small smile.

"Friends with them?" he wondered as she glanced at them while they finally took their seats. She looked back at him.

"I am, or at least James, Remus, and Sirius. But I have no ulterior motives for wanting to be your friend, I promise you that."

It was a lie, in a way. She wanted to save him.

He looked at her for what felt like a few of the longest moments ever before nodding. "Alright."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Kitten." She turned to see Sirius walking towards her and Regulus. She'd felt his eyes on her the entire time, and she'd heard the outraged whispers when he noticed her. Class was over, and most people had left, but Mia and Regulus had stayed behind to help Slughorn put away materials. James had gone with Remus and Peter to talk to Slughorn and put away his own perfectly brewed potion.

"Yes, Sirius?"

"What are you doing with him?" Sirius spat. Regulus flinched a little, but she seemed to be the only one that noticed.

"He's my partner, and my friend. He's helping my catch up."

"I thought I was your friend," Sirius frowned, looking hurt.

"I didn't realize I was limited to one friend only. What if James thought I was his friend, or Remus? It'll break their hearts," she rolled her eyes. "Not to mention Fred. I've known him for _years_."

"I just mean…" Sirius sighed, frustrated. "That's my brother."

"Really?" she blinked in mock surprise. "Regulus Black… huh, I see it now."

"You know who he is, and you still want to be friends with him?" Sirius asked, getting more upset. "Don't you know who he is? What he is?"

Regulus flinched, and Mia's anger soared. "Don't you ever think, Sirius Black, that I don't know well enough to _pick my own friends_. Didn't it occur to you that I, of all people, know who I can trust? Or do you want me to judge you on the sins of your mother? Your father? Bloody Bellatrix?"

Sirius paled slightly, and she didn't miss the way his eyes slipped to her arm. She glared deeply as he continued regardless. "I'm not like them, but he is, Mia! He's done things, too! He's a bloody death eater!" Sirius pointed aggressively to Regulus's left arm, but Mia grabbed Sirius's and twisted it hard.

"You think this world is white and black, good and bad, Death Eater and not. _It isn't_. Don't you _dare_ assume I don't know what I'm doing! And don't you dare ever lift a finger towards him again - he's done nothing to you. That's a warning. I suggest you listen." Her voice was the sort of calm that gave both brothers shivers, and Sirius took a step back to look at her, twisting his arm out of her grip in a way that had to hurt, though he didn't show it.

"I thought you were smarter than that, Mia." His words were sharp and angry and slightly sad, like he'd been let down. Mia's eyes widened as she heard him insult her intelligence.

"You insulted Regulus. You lifted a hand toward him to do god knows what. Then you insulted me, but worse than insulting me, you insulted my intelligence. I thought you were smarter than that, _Sirius_." And as he'd seen her do before, he silently and wandlessly used magic, but this time to hex him. With an angry wave of her hand, his head began to grow. It grew and grew until it looked like a bobble head, unable to control the perpetual nodding of his now inflated head. James, Remus, and Peter got back just in time to see her hex him and stared on, mouths open and in shock.

Mia waved for Regulus to follow, who'd been staring between her and her brother silently, and stomped from the room, quietly trekking through the castle until they reached the Room. When they were inside, she slammed the door shut and began pacing angrily.

"I can't _believe_ him! Absolutely horrible. He's got no right-,"

"Who the hell are you?" Regulus demanded softly. She felt a familiar tug in her mind and slammed up her walls.

"I'm a friend," she sighed, slowing down to lean against the back of the couch and look at him. "I want to help you."

"What do you mean by that?"

"I mean…" she shrugged. "I mean I know you don't like where you're at in life. I know what you've done, and I want… to save you, I suppose."

"Save me." She nodded. "I don't need saving."

"Voldemort," she began, ignoring his flinch. "Doesn't care about blood purity. He cares about power. He will torture and murder _anyone_ for any reason. He'll ask you to do despicable things for him, and tell you it's really an honor to do them. He'll destroy you, and I really don't think you wanted to be there at all."

"I'm not-,"

"It's okay," she muttered. "I'm not going to tell anyone."

He stared at her for a long moment. "Sirius looked at your arm… are you…?"

She blinked. "What? No. It's just… it's just a scar." He stared, unbelieving, so she moved her sleeve up enough to show the scar, but not what it was. He nodded and fell silent. She waited.

"Okay."

"Okay?"

"Yes. You want to help me, then help me, Little Lion."

She scowled. "I don't like nicknames."

He laughed softly. "That's too bad."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sirius stomped into the Gryffindor common room looking angry and guilty. Fred glanced up and saw a myriad of emotions across the Marauders faces. James was amused, and Remus looked upset, while Peter just looked… confused.

"What the hell happened? Where's Mia?" As he said her name, he realized whatever had happened probably had to do with her. He'd only ever seen such interesting expressions on Harry and Ron after she argued with Ron and he'd been hexed. Oh, this should be good.

"She ran off with a bloody Death Eater," Sirius growled. Fred's eyes widened, startled.

"What?"

"What he means," Remus said calmly. "Is that Mia is with his brother, Regulus." It didn't clear much up for the redhead. He'd never heard much about Regulus aside from the fact that he was Sirius's brother and that they weren't close.

"I'm sure she's fine. Why is he so angry? Even if something happened, she's held her own against five of them at once before, and that's just what I've seen. I don't know since they left home." His mind drifted back to what she'd told him of the battle of the DOM. Death Eaters had ambushed them and were all over. Ginny, Luna, and Neville had battled together. Harry had run ahead, and Ron was attacked by… brains. She told him that before she could help her friends, Death Eaters had surrounded her, and she'd been forced to fight alone, everyone else having moved on. It was only when the Order arrived that she'd had any chance of finding Harry. She had made it out of that fight with one scar and more anger than pain.

He realized with a start that the Marauders were staring at him in wonder. "What?"

"She… took on five Death Eaters at once?" Sirius asked, his eyes wide.

"Yeah. She didn't have much of a choice. Would've died, otherwise." Fred frowned, thinking of his little brother. He spoke quietly now. "Her friends would've died."

"She sounds amazing," Peter said, smiling. Fred shook himself and forced a smile.

"That she is, Pete. Incredible." He said honestly. "But what happened?"

James spoke before Sirius had the chance. "Not sure. I think they fought. When we got there, he had a growing head and she left with Regulus." Fred cringed. He'd seen that before, and he knew why. Only Madame Pomfrey had ever been able to remove that hex.

"Did you insult someone she considers hers, or did you insult her intelligence?" He asked, looking at Sirius. The boy frowned, confused.

"What do you mean, someone she considers hers?"

"Well… she's possessive. She gets close to someone, and they're hers. She forms bonds with people pretty quick," he shrugged. "Take Harry, for example. He was hers. When someone insulted or threatened him, she used the bobble head hex. Did it once for me, even, during the uproar against Umbridge. The bird was lucky that old toad didn't know who it was, or I imagine she'd meet the blood quill, too. Still, I bet she'd do it for you three, too."

"Why not me?" Peter pouted. Fred rolled his eyes.

"She hasn't met you yet."

"Oh, yeah."

"Hold on," James interrupted, frowning at Fred. "What did you say about a blood quill?"

"Oh. Well, there's this ministry toad that took over DADA in my seventh year, her fifth year, and she was… awful. She used blood quills in detention with Harry, and used Veritaserum on students. She tried to crucio Harry, too, but Mione interrupted her."

"That's _illegal_ ," James gaped. "How was she allowed to do that?"

"Fudge didn't really care," Fred shrugged. "Let's get back to the issue at hand. What did you do?"

"I didn't do anything!" Sirius huffed, crossing his arms. "I just… well... Oh, shit."

"What'd you do?"

"I called her stupid for being friends with Regulus," he sighed. "I didn't mean to. It's just that anyone who knows someone is a death eater and still willingly spends time with them is one too or isn't too bright."

"Or," Fred rolled his eyes. "She knows something you don't about him, and you just fucked up."

Sirius paled. "Maybe I should find her and apologize."

Fred nodded a little, standing up. "I'll come with you. Might be able to help."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"I'm not sure I can be saved, Mia."

She looked over at him quietly. They'd sat next to each other on the couch and were silent for a while. Her eyes fell on his arm, and she reached gently for it. She tugged his sleeve up slowly, and he stiffened but said nothing. She touched the lines gently, her fingers warm on the most hated part of his body. "You can be saved, Regulus," she whispered, rubbing his arm gently. It sent tingles down his entire body. "I promise. And I promise I'll be the one to do it."

It was silent after that as he thought. They sat there together and he continued to push on her Occlumency walls as she pushed back. She had a feeling he could easily bust through them if she slipped even a little bit, so she put all of her focus into her mind. Eventually, Regulus stopped pushing and just traced lines on her hand, the one that still rested on his arm.

"Why me?"

"Because," she began carefully. "You're the only one I truly trust. You just don't belong there in this very special way."

"What do you mean?" He frowned at her, turning to look in her deep brown eyes.

"I mean you won't be the only one I save, but you'll be the only one I trust like this, Regulus. I… I would trust you with my life."

And, looking back, Regulus would realize that it was the moment he truly gave in and let himself trust her.

"Why do you want to save us, though? What's the point?"

"Because you don't deserve to be stuck," she sighed, shaking her head. "You don't deserve this utter darkness."

He nodded a little, watching her big, golden brown eyes stare right back. "I think I'm glad I met you, Mia Potter."

She smiled brightly, a smile that was only meant for him. "And I am forever grateful that I've had this… unique opportunity to meet you, Regulus Black."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia had sat with Regulus for another hour before they both had to leave for class. She didn't actually care that much about her classes, but she wanted to make some appearances, even if she didn't always show up.

She gave him a hug and a peck on the cheek before disillusioning herself and running straight to Runes. She knew he wasn't in the class, but she didn't want to run the risk of running into Sirius.

When she arrived at class, she dropped the spell and walked in. Unsurprisingly, she was the first one there. She also wasn't surprised when Remus walked in barely a minute after her. He gave her a gentle smile, walking over and sitting next to her.

"They've been looking for you."

Mia quirked an eyebrow. "Not you?"

Remus shrugged. "Fred said it'd be better if it were just him and Sirius." Mia sighed. Of course Fred was helping him.

"I refuse to stop being his friend, Remus. I don't give a shit what Sirius thinks of his brother. He's my friend and that's not going to change. I won't stop being Sirius's friend, either, as long as he gets his head out of his ass."

"Ah, but he loves putting it there," Remus smiled. "I think it's great that you're friends with him. Besides, Fred pointed out that if you were with him, you probably knew more than Sirius. Then he told us that if Regulus tried to attack you, you could very well hold your own. I agree, by the way, having been disarmed by you so quickly." He winked. "I trust you, Mia."

She smiled back at him, relaxing a little. "Thanks, Remus. I've always trusted you, present and future alike." She paused. "Would you like to know something about yourself?"

Remus nodded, raising an eyebrow.

"You were our DADA professor in third year," she grinned as his eyes widened. "Best one we had."

"You're kidding."

"Not at all, Professor Lupin."

He groaned loudly, wondering if he'd ever lose the name.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

When Runes was over, Mia and Remus had established a comfortable friendship, one that made Mia extremely happy. They walked out together, standing close, only to be ambushed halfway down the hall by Fred and Sirius, who pulled them both to an empty classroom that looked like it hadn't been used in a century.

"Would - you - let - go!" Mia sputtered, screaming at Fred. She was stiff as she held her hands in fists, resisting the urge to pull her wand. She could understand, sort of, why Sirius would think it was a good idea, but not Fred. He'd _known_ she was in the middle of the war. Hell, he'd seen her broken because of it. She smacked his arm hard as they closed the door and he released her, which was, in retrospect, his own mistake. She pulled her arm up and slapped him, a cracking sound resonating within the room when her hand made contact with his arm.

"Ow! Bloody hell, woman, that hurt!" Fred yelled at Mia, rubbing his arm. She glared darkly at him.

"You really thought it'd be a good idea to _ambush me in the hall and grab me_?" She shook her head angrily. "I was in the middle of a fucking war, Fred! You might as well have ambushed Mad Eye!" He paused, looking sorry for the first time since they'd entered the room. Before he could bite out an apology, she turned to Sirius. "What the hell do you two want?"

Remus quietly put up a silencing charm around the room before moving next to Mia in a silent offer of support and resigned himself to be referee if things got out of hand… again.

Sirius looked at her with a mixture of shame and sadness. "We wanted to- er, I wanted to talk to you."

Mia huffed, crossing her arms. "Make it quick."

"Er, right, well I wanted to apologize."

"For?"

Sirius winced. She wasn't going to make this easy for him. He needed to know exactly why she was upset with him.

"For insulting Reg and… your intelligence. Just generally assuming I know better."

After a long moment, Mia nodded. "You're right - Reg is a Death Eater. But he hates it, and you'd do well to remember what I said. The world isn't black and white, good or evil." She paused, considering her words.

"Sirius, I've killed for this war." She saw Sirius straighten, and she felt Remus shift beside her. She'd not spoken directly about what she'd done, and she didn't want to, but there were things he needed to understand. "I have ended a life. I have blood on my hands. I just… don't regret it." She sighed as she watched the look on his face.

"It's not something I wanted to do, or want to do again, but it's necessary, because that's what war is. You… haven't been pushed into it, not the way I have. I was always going to be a part of it, even if I hadn't met Harry." She ran her fingers through her hair shortly. "War is nothing without Death. The good guys, the bad guys, we all kill. It's not good and bad or black and white. If you're in the middle of the war, your white turns… grey. It just becomes harder and harder for normal people, yourself included, to decipher who is good, because, in all honesty, we can't tell, either."

She looked at Sirius pleadingly. "So stop assuming. Train yourself to look for who is mostly good, beyond what's obvious. Look for mostly okay instead of good, because… you just won't find it."

She stared at him quietly for a moment before she waved her wand at the door and took down the spells, leaving in a much darker mood than when she'd entered.

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	4. Grudges

**September 15th, 1976**

"Stop laughing at me," Mia grumbled, crossing her arms over her chest. The boy next to her chuckled quietly, shaking his head. "I'm not _avoiding_ them."

"Is that why you've willingly spent all of your time with us?" Regulus asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You guys are great," she denied, refusing to look at him as they walked back to potions class to check on her extra credit.

"You can't avoid him forever, Little Lion," he commented, bumping her arm gently. "What exactly did you say to him?"

She sighed as they entered the empty classroom and moved over to her cauldron, sitting down. "I just told him and Remus something… extremely private. I don't know if they can look at me the same anymore."

"What could you have said to them that would make such a difference?" Regulus asked, gently pulling the ingredients from her hands to get her full attention. "Mia, people flock to you. I highly doubt they'd abandon you, regardless of what you said."

Mia sat quietly for a moment and considered her options for a moment. She knew who she was talking to. If anyone would understand, she thought, it would be him. "Regulus, we're at the beginning of war here."

"Yes."

"And… I've been pretty caught up in it, the past few years," she admitted, avoiding eye contact. "And things got pretty bad, and my friends and I, we had to go on the run. We were being chased and there were a few fights, and…" she breathed out slowly, trying to release the bubble of anxiety in her stomach. "I've killed people, Reg." It was a soft whisper, but he heard it.

He was quiet as he moved from his place across from her to next to her. She felt him shuffling a little bit but didn't look up until he gently placed his fingers under her chin and got her attention again. He'd moved up his sleeve, exposing the Dark Mark to her once more. She reached out gently, settling her fingers on top of it and rubbing gently. "Mia, do you know how we get these?"

"I just thought Voldemort picked you and you got it," she frowned. He shook his head slowly.

"Voldemort picks us, yes, but… there's a process. To get the Mark, we have to kill someone - a muggle or a muggleborn - to prove that we're loyal."

Mia's breath hitched as she got a new understanding of why he hated Voldemort so much. He stared at her wide eyes kindly.

"Does that make me… irredeemable?"

"No," she said, her eyes widening more. She covered the Dark Mark with her hand, squeezing gently. "You regret it."

"Yes, I do."

"You didn't want to." He nodded. "Your mother is the most awful and vile woman I've ever had the displeasure of speaking to."

He frowned. "You've met her?"

She paused, biting the inside of her lip. "Briefly. She managed to call me a plethora of horrible names and threaten me - which was actually funny because she literally couldn't do anything - before we parted ways."

Regulus looked at her closely but said nothing, and she wondered if he really believed her.

Mia sighed as she traced patterns on his arm gently. "So, we've both done things we're not proud of, then." Regulus nodded quietly.

"If they… judge you for what you've done to protect yourself," he said slowly, looking at her close. "Then I'm not sure they deserve to be your friend." Mia shrugged halfheartedly. "But that also means you have to give them the chance to tell you how they feel."

Mia frowned, but she knew he was right. "I know avoiding the problem won't do any good, it's just…" She ran her fingers through her hair. "I didn't mean to tell them in the first place is the thing. I was startled, and coming from looking behind my shoulder constantly, and taking everything as a threat… I was on edge. I guess it kinda sent me back to that place. And…" she shook her head. "I'm just worried-,"

"Mia?" Regulus interrupted, sounding worried. She looked up at him, only to follow his worried gaze. It led her to her hand, the one lying on his arm, which had begun twitching violently again. She'd known the potion was going to wear off soon, but she didn't think it was going to happen yet.

" _Fuck_ ," she gasped, pulling the hand away, only for him to grab her wrist gently but tight enough that she couldn't grab it back. With his fingers wrapped around her wrist, he could more easily feel the aggressive shaking that had begun.

"What _is this_?" he asked, looking the rest of her over. She felt her shoulders begin to shake as well, and she bit her lip painfully as the pain came back to her abruptly. It was always there, of course, but pain potions helped immensely, and that had worn off, too. She didn't answer him, wondering how she could get away to the Room to find more potions, but he interrupted her thoughts, speaking louder this time. "Mia, what's happening?"

"I'm fine," she snapped, twisting her wrist sharply and painfully. Still, he held on, his eyes boring holes into the side of her head.

"You are _not_ fine!" he growled, standing to move in front of her so she was backed against the desk.

"I just- I got hurt, a couple weeks ago, I'm fine. I just need my potions…" she paused, horror written across her face. "I think they're with Sirius." He'd camped out in the Room, waiting for her to return when they weren't in class.

Regulus whipped out his wand and, to Mia's surprise, cast a patronus. A jaguar jumped out of it and walked in circles around them, nudging Mia, his snout disappearing through her to reappear again once he'd moved. "Sirius. Mia is shaking and says she needs potions. Bring them. Potions classroom."

The jaguar ran off, disappearing as it left the room. Mia breathed in deeply, trying to calm herself down. "You can't bring him here!"

"Why?" Regulus asked harshly. "He has what you need."

"Because… I just can't see him," she sighed, shaking her head. She swore softly as she felt the potion wear off completely, leaving her entire body shaking violently. Regulus's lips thinned as he watched her shake. They were quiet for a few long moments while Mia tried to contain the pain. She wrapped her arms around herself and Regulus let her, having let go of her wrist when he moved in front of her. She was sure she wouldn't make it out the door before he caught her if she tried to escape, and she wondered if there was any point anymore. He'd already seen it, and she was certain he wouldn't just let it drop.

"Mia!" Sirius gasped, turning the corner abruptly as he ran into the room. Her head shot up as he stopped short next to them, his eyes taking in her state. "Fuck, Mia, you said you were better!"

She shrugged. "I am, when I take the potions."

"That's not better!" He yelled. "Not after her. It could take you _months_ to heal, and that's only if you do the physical therapy that I _told you_ you needed."

Regulus looked between them before his eyes settled on his brother. "What happened to her?"

"Bellatrix," Sirius snapped the name before she could stop him. "Spent _hours_ torturing her. She doesn't even know how long it really was."

Regulus took in a sharp breath as he turned to her again, but she wouldn't look at either of them.

"Do you have the potions?" she asked quietly, tense from the two brothers next to her.

"Mia, you can only take these for so long," Sirius told her, rubbing a hand across his face. His voice was softer, though he was still obviously upset. "They'll poison you if you keep taking them forever."

"I don't see another choice," she said stiffly. Sirius sighed, grabbing two potions from his robes and handing them to her.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Regulus asked, his eyes boring into her. She shifted uncomfortably.

"It's not really polite conversation," she shrugged. "'Hey Reg, how are you? By the way, your deranged cousin tried to torture me to death, but hey, at least I didn't tell her what she wanted.'"

Regulus stared at her. "She tortured you for _hours_ and you never gave in?"

She shrugged. "It was… too important. I'd rather have died. I still would."

The Slytherin paused, and she could see him thinking about something before his eyes fell on her arm. "Did she give you that scar?"

She stiffened. "Yes."

"You _showed_ him?" Sirius's eyes widened. She shook her head slowly.

"Just… just a little bit." She hated this conversation. She hated feeling so _weak_ here. She was already at a disadvantage, being out of her time, not to mention emotionally. And now they were just openly talking about one of the most traumatic days of her life.

"Why?" Regulus looked between them. "It's just a scar, isn't it?"

Sirius's eyes flashed darkly. " _No_."

"Sirius," she begged. "Please, stop."

"You trust him," Sirius told her. "Do you trust him with this?"

She shook her head. "It's not about trust, Sirius! You saw it. Do you think I like people seeing that weakness on me?"

Sirius froze. "The scar, or what it means?"

"What is it?" Regulus asked, frustrated. Mia looked between them a few times, seeing Sirius's frustration and fear, and the same emotions on his younger brother. She wondered briefly on why they cared so much about her when she'd only been there a few days, but set the thought aside for later. She had a crisis enough right now.

She locked eyes with Regulus as she slowly pushed up the sleeve on her robes and shirt, revealing the dark, scarred skin. Her stomach flipped as his eyes left hers and settled on her arm.

He didn't scream, or curse, or throw spells everywhere. She just saw, for the first time, the family insanity flash dangerously through his eyes. His lips thinned into a line as he stared for longer than she felt comfortable at the horrible word scratched into her skin.

"It was a cursed blade," she whispered. "They couldn't heal it anymore. It can't be covered up." She felt a humorless laugh bubble up in her chest. "I don't cover any of my scars - I don't mind them - but when I find one I want to cover, I _can't_."

Regulus reached over gently, the same furious, unstable look in his eyes, and settled his fingers on her arm in the same way she'd done with his Dark Mark. "The scar, or what it means?"

She blinked, confused. "What?"

"You didn't answer his question."

She frowned as she understood and considered it. "Both, I guess."

"Mia," Sirius whispered softly. "Being muggleborn isn't a weakness."

"It is right now," she said firmly. She gently shook Regulus's fingers off of her arm and stood up, stepping around the boy. "I need to go back to my dorm. We can… finish the potion tomorrow. Put a stasis spell on it, please."

Before they could argue, she rushed out of the room, hurrying back to her dorm.

Sirius looked at Regulus, suddenly left alone in a room with his brother. "You called for my help."

"She wouldn't have gone to the infirmary," Regulus shrugged, putting the spell on the potion again and gathering the things she'd grabbed from the shelves. "She said you had them."

Sirius shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting with a loose button on his robes. "I was waiting for her so we could talk."

"She told me," his little brother sighed, looking back at him. "She was worried you hate her."

Sirius blinked. "She thinks I hate her?"

Regulus shrugged. "She seems to think you wouldn't be able to understand killing for any reason."

Sirius snorted. "I want to fucking kill Bellatrix. And I would. I don't care about that." He saw the dark look in his brother's eyes at the name. "Why do you care about her so much?"

"Why do you?" Regulus shot back, uncomfortable with the question.

"When she got here, we were leading her back to Gryffindor Tower, and she had a small breakdown," he sighed. "We talked. That night, she told me about Bellatrix, and showed me the scar." He paused. "You took it a lot better than I did. She had to put up a shield around me because I started shooting every spell I know."

"I hope you're not being literal," Regulus snorted. "You know plenty of dark spells that'd get through a shield."

Sirius looked away. "I was. I did. One nicked her, and I stopped." Regulus's eyes flashed darkly, but he didn't defend himself. His temper had gotten out of hand and he'd hurt Mia. He was only lucky that it was simply a spell made to go through shields and not one of the much darker ones, like the one that'd turn her organs to stone. "She was fine."

"Merlin," Regulus sighed, sitting next to his brother. "Who is she? Why does she… _matter_ so much?" He rubbed his forehead. "I can't… Sirius, I've never gotten angry like I did when she showed me that scar."

"I think she has that effect on everyone," Sirius shrugged. "James and Remus already care for her, too."

"She's only been here for a few days," Regulus glanced at Sirius. "And I feel so… protective of her. And beyond that, we're talking… civilly."

"She said she knows better than I do," Sirius rolled his eyes. "And then she told me you're a Death Eater and she's still your friend." With a long look at his brother, he tried for a smile. "She might be right."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **September 16th, 1976**

Mia sat in potions the next day and felt three pairs of eyes on her. She'd arrived early and run into Severus Snape. She'd spoken to him for a few minutes, glad for the excuse, and asked if she could sit with him for the day. He'd agreed easily, and she had been working ever since.

The events of the day before weighed heavily on her mind. She knew Regulus had tried to find her later that night, but she'd stayed in her dorm, claiming period cramps to the other girls, and they'd brought her dinner to her so she didn't have to leave. It had actually been very good bonding time with them, and she couldn't help but feel like maybe she'd have some female friends here, too.

She knew avoiding them wasn't going to work forever, but she could damn well try.

She had a free period after potions, though, and she planned on using that to her advantage to get away from them.

Class ended after what felt like an eternity, and she rushed out of the room. She was nearly halfway to the DADA classroom when someone called to her.

"Mia!" James yelled. "Hey, slow down."

"Don't you have History of Magic?" She questioned, not slowing down. She felt him catch up to her easily and resigned herself to whatever conversation he wanted to have.

"Yeah," he shrugged. "I don't care. Binns won't notice I'm gone."

She knew he was right and sighed, stopping to look at him. "What's up? I've got things to do."

"Sirius wants to talk to you."

"I know."

"Yeah, well, Sirius wants to talk to you," he said again, looking slightly apologetic. "And I own an invisibility cloak."

"What?" Her eyes widened. "James-,"

"Hey, kitten," Sirius grinned, pulling off the cloak and handing it back to his friend, who gave her a small smile and took off down the hall, probably afraid of being hexed. "I thought we should talk."

"I disagree," she replied shortly, beginning her escape route to DADA once more.

"Regulus thinks you think I hate you or something," he tried. She turned to look at him, her face tired. "I don't, Mia. I told him and I'll tell you - if I could, I'd kill Bellatrix."

"Sirius," Mia snapped. He shook his head abruptly, cutting her off.

"I'm serious," he promised. "I've seen what she does, I've even felt it once. And she did it to you for hours. She's the worst kind of person."

"I'm sure she'll get what she deserves," Mia shrugged. "We were at war, and someday she'll hurt the wrong person, and it'll get her killed."

Sirius shrugged noncommittally. "Regardless, I don't judge you for having killed."

"That's not… so much why I'm avoiding you," she sighed, rubbing her hair out of her face.

"Then why?"

"Because I don't like feeling weak like that," she admitted. "And too many people know too much about what's happened to me."

"You can trust me with it," he promised softly. "I won't judge you for being weak sometimes."

"I can't be weak _ever_ ," she shook her head.

"That's impossible, kitten. You know that."

She shrugged softly, making a small noise of frustration. "I don't know what else I can do."

"Just relax," he offered. "And ask your friends for help when you need it. We'll be there."

She stared at him for a long moment. "I'll try."

"That's all I can ask," he winked, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. "Now, where were you headed?"

"To see Professor Prewett," she answered as they walked. "I need his help on something."

"Anything I can help with, kitten?"

"Nope," she replied, shoving his arm away. "Now get to class, I'm sure there's a great goblin war you haven't learned about yet."

He rolled his eyes at her but nodded. "I'll see you later, Mia."

"Bye, Sirius."

She breathed a sigh of relief when he walked off in the other direction. She appreciated his words and she meant what she'd said, but she didn't think she could handle being around him at the moment. Maybe he was doing it for her own good, but he'd still revealed a weak part of her and that was not something he had any right to do. She needed a little space.

She found herself in the empty DADA classroom and moved to the office, knocking as she entered. "Hey, I was wondering if I could talk to you about something."

Fabian looked up at her, a smile sliding onto his face. He set his dark wand on his desk, and his paper and quill slowly fell as well. "Sure, pet. What's up?"

She set herself down in the seat across from him and blew out a long breath. "It's just been… a long couple of days." She shook her head, shoving away the thoughts. "But I found something!"

"What's that?"

She reached under her robes and pulled out the time turner, pulling the chain from her neck and setting it in front of him on the desk. "It's a time turner."

"That's what sent you back here?" he asked, plucking it off the desk gently and turning it over in his hand. The white sand inside shook softly, a soft magical light coming off of it.

"Yep," she nodded, relaxing into the chair. "Fred and I went to the DOM and, er, stole one."

Fabian's eyes shot to her and he grinned. "Gideon said they had to tighten security because someone had broken in."

She shrugged. "I found a spell, but it's dangerous and I don't think anyone but the Unspeakables have mastered it."

"And you want to," Fabian guessed, sighing. He set down the time turner and looked at her. "How did you find it?"

"Um," she frowned. "There's this… room, and I found it in a book in there. It's not important. But what it does is it moves the sands of time," she explained before waving at herself. "We've seen what happens when it actually _touches_ someone, and it said there were issues with just using _wingardium leviosa_ because it would attach itself to a person's core through the spell being cast by the wand - it has to be wandless. Regardless, they created this spell to help them _make_ the time turners. I want to use it to take a sand out, place it in an object, and then charm it to a time and place - a timekey."

He took in the information slowly as he considered the pros and cons. "You said it was dangerous?"

"There were some… explosions," she winced. "But I think that with some supervision, I can do it."

"Supervision," Fabian repeated. "And that would be…?"

"You?" she asked, smiling shyly. He shook his head, smiling back at her.

"Of course, pet. We'll find a good room to work in. Do you know how long it'll take?"

She shrugged. "I dunno. It didn't say anything about that."

"Well, of course I'll help you. Is that the only thing you wanted to talk about?" He raised an eyebrow at her and she shrugged uncomfortably.

"Sirius and I had a… misunderstanding," she rolled her eyes. "I'm just overwhelmed. I can't go back to Gryffindor Tower, because the boys are there, and I can't go back to Slytherin, because Regulus is there-,"

"What happened with Regulus?" Fabian wondered, watching her small crisis.

"Well, he was… sort of involved in the aforementioned misunderstanding."

"Sirius and Regulus Black?" Fabian laughed shortly. "You got them in the same room?"

"Not by choice," she muttered angrily. "Things got out of hand. It was ridiculous."

"Of course you'd be able to _accidentally_ get those two to cooperate."

"Regulus called for him before I could stop him," she pouted. "It wasn't what I wanted." She paused. "How'd you know about their issues?"

Fabian shrugged. "We were in school a few years ago. Sirius pulled a few nasty pranks on his brother. It was fairly obvious they hated each other."

Mia leaned back in the seat, resting her head against the wall. "I don't know why they _care_ so much, Fab. Especially Regulus. I can kinda understand Sirius and Remus and James, you know, because they know. But he cares just as much, maybe more. It's weird, it's like there's just something there, and I am so _annoyed_ because I don't know what it is."

Fabian shrugged. "Just go with it, pet. He's important to you, yes?" She nodded a little. "Then what's the problem?"

She thought for a minute before she realized he had a point. "I guess there is none."

"Good!" He grinned. "So, do you wanna go find a room and get started on the spell?" Mia grinned and stood, picking the time turner up and stepping out of the room with the redhead behind her.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Mia," Regulus blinked as she sat down. They were in the Slytherin common room, which was mostly empty, and she'd placed herself next to him.

"I am… uncomfortable," she said slowly, picking her words carefully. "With feeling weak, and exposed."

"I know," he nodded.

"And yesterday, you and Sirius put me in this position where I felt so out of control," she sighed in frustration. "I don't… mind you guys knowing, okay? I just minded you knowing without my consent."

"What happened yesterday," Regulus said slowly. "Was not supposed to happen. I… saw you like that, well, I recognized the signs. It just didn't make sense because I've been sitting next to you every day in class, and you've been _fine_. So I was confused, and worried, and Sirius did nothing but make it worse." He paused. "I got… emotional. I apologize."

Mia considered him. She knew it shouldn't be important, but it was bothering her. "Regulus, why do you care about me?"

He paused as someone - Rowle, he thought - passed by them slowly. When he was gone, he leaned a little closer, whispering. "Would you like to know a secret?" Mia nodded, looking at his sharp silver eyes. "I truly don't know."

She sighed, sitting back. "Does it confuse you, as well?"

"Of course," he shrugged. "Like a little… tug." Mia nodded furiously.

"It reminds me vaguely of the way I felt when I met my best friend, but… different," she sighed. "I've never done much research into it because we had bigger problems, but now, I've got time."

"Are we okay?" he asked gently, bumping her shoulder. She nodded a little, smiling.

"Yeah. Of course."

"So you'll sit with me again in potions?" He raised an eyebrow. "Parkinson got shifted next to me. Don't do that to me again, please."

"I dunno," she laughed. "Severus was a great partner."

He stared her down. "If you abandon me again, Potter, I'll drop a fairy wing in your draught of living death."

"Hey!" She smacked his arm. "I've worked hard on that."

"So have I," he replied. "I took care of it while you were pouting."

"I was _not_ pouting."

"There was some pouting, Little Lion."

Mia grumbled, picking herself from the couch and flicking his forehead. He laughed at her as she absolutely did _not_ stomp up to her dorm.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **September 18th, 1976**

"Mia," a voice called. She glanced behind her to see Lily Evans catching up to her. She slowed down and smiled at the girl. "Marlene mentioned you. I didn't realize you were in their dorm."

"Yeah," she nodded. "Apparently it's pretty full. She's super sweet, though, and so is Emmaline."

"I was worried about you being in Slytherin," Lily admitted as they reached the Gryffindor common room. Mia had been spending some time there, and no one really seemed to mind. She suspected interference from the Marauders in that respect, but she didn't care as long as they didn't bother her. It felt too much like home to abandon it. "They can be so cruel sometimes, and you're so sweet. But they'll look after you."

Mia dropped herself down on the floor next to Fred. There was some music playing and the room was rather full. There was a great energy in the room that reminded her of her fifth year when the twins were using first years to experiment on their treats. She nudged him gently. "Remind you of your awful treatment of the first years?"

"We paid them!" He replied defensively. She rolled her eyes, turning back to Lily.

"I can hold my own Lily, I promise," she tapped the girl's knee. She'd sat down with them and had pulled out her books to study.

"Yeah," Fred nodded seriously. "She could probably destroy any one of them. She's scary."

"I am not scary!" Mia hissed. Fred and Lily exchanged a glance and she sat back, crossing her arms over her chest. "Shut up."

"Why's she pouting?" James wondered, skipping down the stairs. She glanced up at him and made a face.

"They said I'm scary."

"I've seen you hex Sirius," James laughed. "You're a little scary."

"James!" Mia groaned, rolling her eyes.

"I'm sure he agrees," James grinned. "It took Madame Pomfrey an hour to figure out how to deflate his head."

"What?" Lily asked, glancing between them. "What happened?"

With great reluctance, Mia explained the situation. Lily laughed at her when she explained the hex, and she finished telling her in an annoyed tone.

"So, what you're saying is that I really shouldn't worry about you?" Lily surmised, and Mia shrugged.

"I think I'll be okay. Besides, I've got Regulus looking out for me, and I _think_ Severus has warmed up to me, too." She felt Lily still and looked over. "Lily?"

"Nothing," she shook her head, pressing her quill down on her paper until it broke through.

Mia frowned. "What is it, Lily?"

"He just, he said something awful," Lily shrugged. "We were friends, now we're not."

"I'm sorry," Mia whispered. Lily shrugged again, and despite the loud music in the room, she was sure Lily's quill whisking across the page was the loudest noise in the room.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **September 24th, 1976**

"Who taught you potions?" Severus grumbled as they entered their common room. "You know what you're doing, Potter."

Mia choked on her laughter, finding his words cathartic after years of bullying. "He was a very complex man," she assured him softly. He shook his head in frustration.

"Regulus said your professor told you that you were inept," he explained his frustrations, his long black hair sliding in front of his face. He pushed it away gently, tucking it behind his ears. The boy wasn't anything like she'd expected. He didn't resemble the man nearly as much as she'd thought he would. He had a crooked nose and long greasy hair, but she knew that came from his time brewing potions for Slughorn in his freetime. She'd found a charm to help with that, that would act as a sort of invisible, constant hairnet. He'd accepted it grudgingly, and she'd offered it with a smile.

"Regulus has a big mouth," she rolled her eyes. Her friend smirked as they walked through the common room to a large alcove that had a chair and a couch shoved in it with a table.

"I think it's a perfectly normal size," a voice called. She laughed, glancing up at him. He had his bag in his arms and looked slightly ruffled, but happy.

"A big head, then."

"Ah, I'll admit to that."

She chuckled as he sat down next to her, Severus on her other side. She leaned back as Severus brought out his books to work on homework and looked over at Regulus, gently reaching over to flatten his hair a little. "What happened to you?"

He rolled his eyes. "Quidditch game coming up."

Her eyes flashed dangerously. "And?"

" _And_ ," he sighed tiredly. "Anything to put the Slytherin Seeker out of commission."

Mia's lips thinned tightly. "Who?"

"Mia-,"

" _Regulus_ , who?"

"Seraphine Burke," he shrugged.

"She's a seventh year!" Mia yelled, her hair sparking with anger. The boys shared a startled look. Severus leaned forward, settling his hand on top of hers.

"He's _fine_ , Sano," he muttered gently. She ignored the use of the nickname - it had been chosen without her there, and both of them had occasionally called her that. Severus had been brought into her plan merely days before, and had been overwhelmingly grateful. He seemed to trust her, though less than Regulus, which was understandable.

"What did she do?" She ignored him, grabbing Regulus's chin gently and turning his face so she could look at him.

"Just threw a fex hexes," Regulus sighed, placing his hand on her arm and gently pushing it down to her lap. He left his on top of hers, for comfort or restraint, she wasn't sure. "I ducked all of them."

"This is disgusting!" She huffed, glaring at nothing in particular. "She can't just… get away with this."

"She didn't actually hurt me, Little Lion."

Mia grumbled quietly to herself, ending the small argument. She did, however, grip his hand tightly in hers.

"Mia," Regulus said softly. She raised an eyebrow at him. "Where'd you learn Occlumency? Your shields are incredible."

She rolled her eyes. He'd still been testing her occasionally, though she wasn't sure why, and she let him, easily pushing back his attacks. "I just read about it and thought I'd try. It's really not that complicated."

He stared at her. "You didn't have anyone to guide you?"

She shrugged. "Is that unusual?" Regulus and Severus shared a look before he simply nodded. "Oh." The conversation ended after that, though she felt Regulus shift his attention to other, odd parts of her shields, and she fought him off just as easily there.

The three of them sat there together for a couple of hours before Mia finally stood and stretched. "I have to get to a meeting with Professor Prewett."

"You've been seeing him a lot," Regulus commented gently. "Is everything okay?"

"Yep," she smiled softly, pulling her hair into a ponytail in preparation. She'd shed her robes and gotten comfortable awhile ago, and she quietly levitated the robes down the stairs and into her dorm. "He's just giving me some private lessons. I asked," she explained. "I've never been as good as everyone else at DADA."

Severus frowned at her, having observed her in class. "I'm not sure who you're measuring yourself against, but you're the best in our year."

She shrugged lightly, winking. "Could always be better, though." With that, the two let her go, and she made her way out of the dungeons slowly. She stopped quickly by the potions classroom again to check on her potions - she'd taken to asking for extra credit and extra potions to learn under the guise of wanting to get better. Really, she wanted to know more about the bases of the subject - something that Snape had barely deigned to teach them.

When she walked out of the room, she knocked straight into another student. She steadied herself, eyes wide. "I am so sorry! I wasn't looking."

The student had grabbed onto the doorframe to stay up and looked her over darkly. He was familiar, she realized with a start, though she couldn't say why. "Potter, isn't it?"

"Mia," she corrected with an uneasy smile. He looked to be about sixth year, and in Slytherin, though she wasn't sure if she'd seen him around. She hadn't truthfully been paying that much attention to the other students in her house, aside from Regulus and Severus and the girls in her dorm.

" _Mia_ ," he whispered. His hand fell on her arm and she started at the touch. "Wonderful to meet you."

"And you are?"

He gave her a small, apologetic smile. "Antonin."

Still, the name and the face didn't connect. She couldn't figure it out - couldn't tell why he was so familiar. Internally frustrated, she shifted. "Well, it's nice to meet you, but I've got a meeting to get to."

He nodded silently, and she turned quickly. His hand fell from her arm and… promptly rounded to slap her ass. She gasped loudly, whipping around. Her face flushed and she knew her hair was giving off sparks already.

"Oh, you didn't like that, did you, Potter?" Mia winced at his words. They were predatory, and she did the only thing she could think of. The only thing he wouldn't expect.

She pulled her arm up in the air and swung down hard, a sick appreciation rioting through her at the loud smack as her hand connected with his cheek. She pulled herself away quickly, not willing to let him recover, and ran down the hall to her meeting.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"What's wrong with _him_?" Regulus muttered, staring as Dolohov entered the common room raving angrily at his friends, who were across the room.

"Bloody disgusting witch! Who does she think she is? Fucking bitch!" His yelled echoed through the large room. "I will _destroy_ her!"

Some brave soul managed to actually speak and used their precious words not on calming him down, but rather on asking _who_ he wanted to destroy.

"Mia fucking Potter!"

Regulus felt his chest tighten.

 _What had she done?_

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia returned to Slytherin common room late into the night with a note from Fabian to save her from the prefects. The exhausted, stressed look on her face turned cautious when she caught sight of Regulus sitting in a chair, obviously waiting for her. "Reg? What're you doing?"

"Mia," he breathed, relief coloring his features. "You're okay."

"Of course I'm okay," she said slowly. "Why?"

"What happened after you left earlier?" She blinked at him, but he waited for her to answer. He looked tired with bags under his eyes and stress keeping him tense.

"I went to the potions room to take care of the regeneration potion and then… then I went to see Fabian." He stared at her darkly and she resisted the urge to fidget. She found it extremely uncomfortable to lie to him. With a sigh, she ran her fingers through her hair. "On the way out of the room, I ran into a student. He said hello, and then slapped my arse on my way out." Regulus stiffened. "I slapped him and left."

"Mia, do you know _who_ it was?"

She shook her head. "He said his name was Antonin."

"Antonin Dolohov," Regulus replied stiffly. "He's possibly the most dangerous and unstable person in school."

Mia felt her breath hitch. "You can't honestly expect me to have done nothing? What he did was sexual assault, regardless of how you stupid wizards think of it. It's despicable and horrible and I was _not_ just going to let him touch me without my consent!"

"Sano!" Regulus stood, moving to her. He pulled her into his arms gently, her messy hair tickling his nose. "I don't expect you to do nothing, of course not. I just… wish you'd be more careful. And you need to be, from now on. I think he's planning something."

"Great," she breathed out heavily. "That's _exactly_ what I needed."

Regulus pulled back but stayed close. The low light of the fire nearby threw shadows over her face and as he stared at her, he felt something tugging at him. It was an almost irresistible tug, but he ignored it, reluctantly stepping back to give them more space. "Please be careful."

"Well he can't do anything, right?" she frowned. "We're in school."

"I'm not sure," Regulus shrugged. "His father is on the board of directors, and he's got a big enough influence that I doubt he'd really get in trouble for anything."

Mia pushed her hair back in frustration. "Great. Okay. I'm sleeping in Gryffindor tonight."

"What?" Regulus blinked, confused. "Why?"

"If I saw him tomorrow morning, do you really think he'd be _calm_?" She shrugged. "I'm sure they won't mind."

Regulus looked conflicted for a moment before he had an idea. "What about that room?"

"What room?"

"The one you took me to," he shrugged. "It was on the seventh floor. Appeared out of nowhere?"

Mia paused to consider it. "Maybe I should stick to people for a while," she shrugged. "I don't want to sleep in there alone. Maybe if I stay around people and give him some time, he'll forget it."

Regulus highly doubted it, but said nothing. "I'll come with you."

"Reg, you don't have to-,"

"I _do_ ," he gave her a small, genuine smile. She considered him for a long moment before agreeing. She pecked his cheek softly and ran down to her dorm to grab a few things. He felt his cheek warm where her lips had touched but forced the thought away as she found her place by his side. The pair of them made their way to the room and entered quietly, surprised to find it already in use.

"Sirius?" Mia blinked. "James? Fred? What are you doing here?"

The group looked up at her in surprise, and then Sirius's eyes fell on Regulus. "What the hell is he doing here? With you? Now? Here with you, now?"

Mia blinked. "I can't stay in Slytherin tonight, so I came here, and he came with just in case."

"In case _what_?" Sirius frowned, looking between them. His brother still looked utterly exhausted and completely worried, and she just looked frustrated and put out. "What happened?"

"Nothing," Mia said firmly. "That I can't handle."

"Which is why Regulus is here, guarding you?"

"He's not guarding me," she rolled her eyes. "Would you calm down? What are you guys doing here?" They looked at each other before back at her and shrugged. She frowned suspiciously. "Whatever it is, please don't involve me. I just came here to sleep."

"Well," Sirius said slowly. "I think it'd be a good idea if we all slept here tonight."

"Brilliant," Fred agreed brightly. Mia gave him a small smile. They hadn't had much time to talk, really, and she regretted that, but she also knew he had the Marauders so he was probably okay. She promised herself she'd find him sometime soon and catch up.

They sat and talked for a while, and no one missed the way Regulus hovered around Mia, like he couldn't resist. When he would move away, she found her way over to him, too. It wasn't until he finally fell asleep around one in the morning that she pulled herself away, moving to sit with the other boys, all of whom were still awake.

"Are you gonna tell us?" Sirius raised an eyebrow. She scowled.

"You do _not_ have to know every little thing that happens. Must I remind you what happened the last time you got bad news?" She raised an eyebrow and watched as his eyes flicked over her neck, which had been fully healed that night.

"It's that bad?" he asked softly, looking startled.

She shook her head. "No. But something did happen, and you have a temper, and I don't trust you not to lose it."

"I'll stun him if he does," James promised. The four of them were sitting in a small circle with Fred on Mia's right and James on her left, Sirius across from her. She sighed.

"You need to be very clear on this. I don't know where I know him from in the future, but I _do_. And that has to happen. So you can't do _anything_ about what I'm going to say, okay?" There were three understanding, albeit reluctant nods. "This afternoon, I walked out of the potions room and slammed into Antonin Dolohov." She saw James and Sirius wince, Sirius a little moreso. "He said hello and then said goodbye by slapping my arse. I slapped him and ran off."

"Merlin, Mia…" Sirius took a deep breath. She could see the clear anger written all over him, James and Fred only slightly more contained than him.

"Regulus said he's got something against me now, which is why we came here."

"You're gonna get yourself killed," James muttered, lying back on the blanket underneath him tiredly.

"I am not," she rolled her eyes. "I just need to stay around people for a while. That'll probably mean you and Severus and Fabian, not to mention Reg."

"So you're well covered then," James smiled at her.

"I hope so."

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	5. Pranks and Souls

**October 4th, 1976**

"Hello, class," Fabian smiled.

Mia frowned. Something was… off. He wasn't quite _right_. She couldn't put her finger on it, but it was there.

"Hello, Professor," the class said together.

"Today we'll be finishing up nonverbal casting. Use stupefy and shields _only_." He gave them a grin. "Let's get to work!"

With a sigh, Mia stood. She'd meet him after class and they could talk then. Once she was across from Severus, who had become her partner when Peter came back to class after his day long nap, she readied her wand. "Begin!" She heard Fabian yell, and she watched as the class started. She absentmindedly put up a shield as she saw Severus begin to work on casting. He'd been having some issues, but he was certainly getting it. Still, she tried to hold the same shield the entire time. It had been a suggestion from Fabian. He told her it was like a muscle- the more you stretch it, the more you can use it, or longer, in this case. It absorbed the _Stupefy_ , which was flawless and silent, and the other spells she'd asked he throw at her. He didn't really need to hit her, he just needed a place to aim at, and she worked fine. She turned her head, keeping the shield up, and watched Fabian stare at her, amazed.

"Fab?" She spoke quietly as he walked over, stopping when he stood next to her.

"How long have you been holding that shield?" Mia shrugged, frowning. It had been his suggestion, and he'd expected she'd keep it up this long.

"Ten minutes?"

"You haven't recast once?"

"Of course not," she frowned, annoyed. "Fab, _you_ told me to try this, remember? You gave me a whole damn speech about it. 'You're powerful, Mia, you can do more, you just have to push yourself.'"

"Ah."

She shook herself. "Can I see you after class? My wand has been acting weird since our last session. I'm worried I messed it up trying to put out that fire. I think it's magical fire from the spell, meaning it has to be put out wandlessly. Irritating but not impossible."

His eyebrows shot up but he nodded silently, moving on to the next pair - Crabbe and Travers.

Fifty minutes later, Fred and Mia were waiting in Fabian's office for him.

"I'm serious, Fred," she said, glaring at him in anticipation for the joke in the other boy's absence. "There's something off about him. Perhaps he's just unwell, but it's war. And you _know_ it's better to check than die."

"Hermione, I just-,"

"That's not my name," she snapped. "But if he proves it's him, I'll show him my wand and see what he thinks. Okay? I won't attack him or anything."

"Okay… Just don't shove your wand down his throat because you're paranoid."

A couple of silent minutes later, the Auror walked in, offering an apology for being late. Faster than light, Mia shot out of her chair and pushed her wand in his face. Fred groaned, a look of resigned annoyance on his face.

"Didn't I _just_ say not to do that?" Fred complained.

"No, love, that was actually a few minutes ago," she corrected before turning to the man she had her wand pointed at. "Who are you? You are _not_ Fabian. He's not been surprised by my power since the day we met."

The man looked at her for a long second before the corners of his mouth twitched, giving away a grin he was trying so hard to repress. "I'm Auror Prewett, Miss…?"

Mia glared. "He _knows_ us! Why on earth would I… ever…." she trailed off, her eyes running over him critically now. His hair was parted to the right instead of the left, and he was missing the small scar on his cheek that she'd learned had come from a Quidditch accident. With a angry huff, she lowered her wand and dropped herself into her chair again.

"Gideon Prewett," she said to Fred, frustration coloring her voice, her mouth tight. The boy grinned, looking between his uncle and his friend. "I fucking _hate_ twin pranks."

"I take offense to that," Fred glared at her playfully.

She shot forward, poking his chest. "Good! You're half of the idiot that _caused_ my hate for said pranks!"

"To be completely fair, Granger, it was his idea first."

"And I am confident that he would say the same, were he in your position."

"Damn right he would," Fred grinned. "We have a shred of self-preservation, we do."

"Really?" She raised her eyebrow. "I had no idea, not with the way you instigate your poor mother."

"Poor mother?" His eyes widened in disbelief. "Mia, you've seen her mad! She looks like a saber tooth tiger for Merlin's sake!"

Gideon was watching the exchange with equal amounts amusement and confusion. "I happen to love twin pranks - they make life so much easier."

"See, Mione?"

"Stop calling me that!" She snapped. "You called me Granger, too," she growled - actually growled - at Fred. "You have the biggest fucking mouth of anyone I've ever met, Fred. It'll be a miracle if we survive."

Gideon frowned. It was obvious they had some sort of secret, something his twin seemed to know. "What exactly is going on here?"

"My name is Frederick Gideon Weasley," Fred started. Mia groaned angrily, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes. This was going to take a while.

An hour later, they finally finished. It had taken them longer to convince Gideon, who was still shocked, but he'd believed them in the end.

"So, you're trying to find a way to go back?" He asked them, rubbing his forehead. About ten minutes in, the headache had hit, and he was desperate for some pain potion.

Mia shook her head, reaching under her robes to pull out the time turner, which was under a heavy stasis charm. "We found something."

"That's a time turner," he gasped. "But wait, isn't that what sent you back here?"

"Yes," Mia nodded. "The sands are extremely powerful. If I place them in objects and spell them correctly, they should send us back." She sighed, shoving the thing back under her robes. "We found the right spell, and Fabian has been helping me with it… it's a little dangerous. But it's possible. It'll just take some time. We're not sure how long. Six months at least, but probably more. Maybe a year."

"Wow," Gideon breathed, amazed.

Fred nodded, grinning. "Too bad we can't get them in the future. With a few restrictions, it'd be great for the store."

"Fred! This," she waved at them and then generally everywhere, indicating their situation. "Is exactly why that would be a bad idea!"

"I said with some restrictions," Fred defended.

"Why couldn't you?" Gideon tilted his head curiously.

"Um, my friends and I… there was a battle, and we kinda destroyed them all," she answered sheepishly. It hadn't technically been their fault, since a Death Eater had actually sent the cutting curse, but she was still embarrassed.

Gideon's eyes widened before he blinked, furrowing his brow. "Does that mean… are you saying there was a battle in the DOM and _children_ fought it?"

"Uh, yeah," Mia shifted in her seat. "Harry had this dream, and we went with him because he'd get himself killed without us, and there were Death Eaters, and…" she trailed off, avoiding his eyes. His penetrating gaze made her uncomfortable, and this story was hard enough to remember, let alone tell. "We went into the Time Room and a slicing hex - I think - was sent after Neville, but it hit the table, and all of the time turners were broken." Mia finished shortly, taking a quick breath in, feeling like she hadn't been breathing. Which, she realized suddenly, was possible.

Gideon thankfully seemed to understand how touchy the subject was and let the subject drop. "Right. Well, I can look at your wand, but Fabian would know better than I would what to look for, so you might just want to wait." Mia nodded quickly. "Just write me and keep me updated, okay?"

With a smile, Mia and Fred agreed. She apologized once more for shoving her wand in his face before they said goodbye and left to consider one more person knowing.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **October 7th, 1976**

"James Potter!" Mia screamed. "Put him down right now!" James turned back to look at her in surprise and immediately he felt that sinking feeling. She was _pissed_.

"Only if he says 'pretty please,'" James remarked, regret setting in instantly. He felt a hot, heavy substance sticking to his lower back, growing with every second. When he looked down, he saw his entire bottom half was coated with green goo. "Mia! What the hell is this?" He screamed, pulling his wand down to poke the goo with it. The wand got stuck, to his dismay, and he watched as Mia huffed and walked past him, running to the Slytherin that fell when the spell broke. She reached him and spoke a few soft words he couldn't hear, helping him up. Before she walked away with him, she turned to give James a cold look, waving her hand in the air, and James felt his head inflate suddenly.

 _Shit._

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Are you okay?" Mia asked softly, straightening out Severus's robes. She was _furious_ , and it showed.

Severus nodded a little, gently pushing her hand away. "I'm fine, Sano."

"He's such a prick!" She complained as they walked into the common room. "I've _spoken_ to him about this! I don't understand why he can't just let it go, or at least ignore you!"

Severus held his tongue on the matter. He had no kind words for James Potter. His new sister, however, was possibly the most caring person he'd ever met. He truly didn't think the boy deserved her. "Where were you going?"

"Huh?" She blinked, confused.

"When you found us," he elaborated. She nodded understanding.

"I told Reg I'd be in the room tonight. You can come, if you'd like. The boys are planning something, and I'd rather avoid finding out what, and the girls," she said, waving vaguely toward the stairs to her dorm. "Are also planning something, which just… worries me."

Severus laughed a little. "Avery has been watching us. I trust him, but you don't. I'd rather avoid leading him there while you're unsure." Mia nodded and sighed. She didn't know what to do about Avery. She'd never heard much about him, aside from his name in connection to Death Eaters, and seeing his name in a book of pureblood families. As far as she was aware, he wasn't in her time. Here, he seemed all too interested in her, and she'd had confirmation that he was, in fact, a Death Eater. Severus said he'd tried to refuse, but Voldemort threatened to kill his mother, so he had agreed. Mia was… interested, but hesitant. Severus was right. She didn't trust him - not yet.

"I'll make sure I run into him sometime soon, I guess. But Severus, I'm not… invincible, and I'm no miracle. There's… only so much I can do." Severus gave her a soft smile, like he disagreed, but he just nodded.

"I know, Sano. Now go. Reg gets cranky when you're late." Severus rolled his eyes, but Mia smirked. He was right - Regulus was very cranky if she was late, often assuming the worst. He was so protective of her, and while it usually annoyed her, from most people, it made her smile coming from him.

"I know," she laughed. "But to be fair, I never told him _when_ I'd be there." She kissed Severus's cheek in a purely friendly manner and walked away, happily making her way toward the Room.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Reg, if you ask me one more time, I will properly hex you," Mia warned sharply.

"Mia, just listen from my point of view," he insisted. "He's pranked me more times than I can count since I've gotten to this school. All I'm asking is for you to help me once. It won't hurt anyone at all."

"It could hurt you," she countered quietly, looking down at her bare arms. The pair of them had begun wearing short sleeves in the Room when it was just them, a sort of freedom that calmed them both. He walked over and ghosted his fingers over her bare arm, making her shiver. She glanced up into the sharp depths of his beautiful eyes.

"I can handle myself, Little Lion. I've done so for five years. He won't hurt me. He'll yell, but he won't hurt me unless I'm hurting someone else."

Mia shook her head, breaking eye contact and instead looking at his fingers dancing along her skin. "I don't know. He's… I'm trying to stay out of this. And besides," she added, her voice a whisper. "He's one of the closest people I've got. Do you think he'd forgive us both?" She looked up at him now and saw him grin. He knew he'd won the argument.

"Course he will, love. You've got him wrapped around your finger, and I'm his little brother, whether he likes it or not." He hugged her close and kissed the top of her head before pulling away and laughing. "Think you can handle pretending to be my girlfriend for a day?"

Mia was startled by how the thought gave her butterflies, but she nodded, giving in with a sigh. "I think it'll be harder for you than it is for me, Reg."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **October 12th, 1976**

Mia and Regulus had discussed the prank countless times and gone over the plan so much that it was testing Regulus's patience. When the day came, she spent the entire time listing off all of the things that could go wrong - even the ridiculous ones. She'd paced back and forth until he was sure the floor had wears in it, and he reached out, grabbing her hand gently and pulling her over. She let him, however reluctantly, and settled on the arm of his chair.

"And what if he refuses to ever talk to me again, and-,"

"Mia, love, he would never do that. He loves you, and you know that. It's a harmless prank. I'll kiss you, he'll have a heart attack, and you can explain all of it. I promise you, it'll be perfectly fine. Do you really think Fred would have agreed to help if he thought there was a chance of you getting hurt in the end?" Regulus reasoned patiently. Mia's shoulders slumped and she sighed, slipping her fingers into his. He squeezed tightly and gave her a supportive smile.

"I suppose not. You're right. It'll be fine. He can take a joke, right? He makes enough of them, that's for sure."

"Exactly. Besides," he grinned at her brightly. "It's my birthday."

"Oh!" She gasped, jumping up to reach into her beaded bag, digging through it. "I got you something."

"Mia, you didn't have to-,"

"Shush," she rolled her eyes, bringing the small box out and handing it to him. He looked at it curiously before opening it, his eyes falling on a small pendant connected to a strap. The pendant was obviously goblin made, and it had a lion carved into it. He touched it softly, grinning.

"Mia, it's beautiful."

"It's not just a bracelet," she told him, plucking it from the box. She motioned for his arm, and he gave it to her willingly. "It's special. It's connected to me. The back of the pendant will light up with my location, and it'll glow and heat up when I'm in danger." She blushed softly at his intent gaze. "I've got one too, I just need to connect it to your core," she pulled up her sleeve, revealing her similar bracelet, though hers held a snake on it. His eyes lit up at the sight and he gently pulled the box from her hand and set it down, wrapping his arms tightly around her.

"I love it."

She squeezed him back happily, a bright grin spread across her face. She let the hug last a few moments longer than was necessarily polite before she pulled back, her wand in her hand. "May I?" He nodded a little, and she tapped her bracelet. It glowed brightly, a brilliant golden color. " _Anima Autem Nexum_." With her words, he felt his magic light up inside of him, and he felt warm as the connection was made. Slowly, the light faded from her bracelet until it was gone, and he stared at the amazing witch in front of him.

"Mia, where did you find that spell?"

She shrugged. "I've got a book on the soul and core."

"That sort of magic is _extremely_ rare. I didn't realize you meant it literally connected to my core," he breathed, eyes wide.

She frowned. "Well, how else would it tell me if you're hurt?" She shook her head. "It had to be like that. I connected the _protaen_ charm to the spell, too. That's how I'll know where you are."

"What if someone gets ahold of these?" Regulus paused. "That could be dangerous, too."

She shook her head, raising her wand again. She cast this spell quietly, and Regulus assumed she either knew it well, or had practiced it before. He watched as both of their bracelets lit up together, that golden light flowing together and connecting for only a second before it slammed back into the bracelets, fading abruptly this time. "There."

"What… did that do?" he asked, frowning.

"That means they won't work for anyone but us," she shrugged.

He looked at her in amazement. She was never going to stop surprising him, was she? As he looked at her, he suddenly became aware of just how close they were. She was nearly in his lap, having tossed her legs over the chair and slid down some when searching for his present. She wasn't paying him any attention as she settled her wand back into her bag - something she'd been doing more and more when she was around the people she'd trusted, knowing she didn't really need it. His breath caught in his throat as her hair slipped down, falling into her face, and she pushed it away, annoyed. He wasn't sure why, but every little thing she did amazed him.

He coughed awkwardly. "We're going to be late, Little Lion." She turned to him with wide eyes and scrambled out of the chair - and his lap - to stand up. He chuckled quietly as he stood and offered her his hand, happy when she took it. They left the room in companionable silence, both thinking of the kiss to come.

When they got to the corridor that held the Fat Lady, they stopped and waited, talking about something obscure in potions. When they heard the cue - a very subtle "have you seen Mia lately?" from Fred - Mia took a sharp breath, locking her eyes with the beautiful boy in front of her. She squeezed his hand hard, her stomach doing flips. He smirked at her knowingly before stepping forward just a little so that there was virtually no space between them and moved his free hand to cup the back of her head, and closed the space between them. His lips touched hers softly. She gasped at the touch, though she'd expected it, because she felt that tugging feeling inside of her grow exponentially. Her lips parted slightly in surprise and he deepened the kiss, flicking his tongue over her lips. She found it tickled a little and opened them more, allowing him entrance. He adjusted his grip on her - his arm around her waist and his other hand gently holding her head, giving her just as much control as he had.

" _What the fuck_?"

Regulus stilled at the sound of his brother's voice. Everything inside of him screamed at him not to release the witch in his arms, but he forced himself to pull away, though she stayed tucked nervously into his side. She looked dizzy and startled with wide eyes, and he squeezed her hand gently, pulling her out of her daze. She immediately blushed furiously, and the sight pleased him immensely.

"Sirius!" Mia squeaked.

"What the hell are you doing, Mia?" He snapped, looking between them. Regulus felt the joke slipping as his odd instinct to protect her screamed at him, though he knew his brother wouldn't hurt anything but possibly her feelings, which still somehow felt unacceptable.

"Um…"

"I'd certainly hope you know what that is, brother," Regulus said, trying to sound smug. He did love riling his brother up, but there was something extremely important he needed to say to Mia, preferably without his brother's screaming in the background.

"I know what that is!" Sirius growled. "I want to know why!"

Mia looked between the brothers nervously, but Regulus turned on his brother, amazed. "Have you really not seen it?" He asked, incredulous. "She is _incredible_. She's brilliant, and she's sneaky, and she's mischievous, and she's kind, and she protects everyone she loves, and she has such a strong sense of what's right and wrong, it'll smack you in the face, and she cares more than is strictly healthy, and she is bloody _gorgeous_. Did all of that escape your grasp?"

Sirius stared at him with wide eyes, but he felt Mia staring too. She was squirming under the praise. "Sorry," Mia muttered before slipping her hand out of his and running away. Regulus looked at his brother, his eyes wide. That was definitely _not_ supposed to go like that.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Mia?"

"What?" the small girl demanded, not moving or looking up. She was lying on a couch in the room with a blanket draped over her, her eyes closed.

"Sirius sent me to come check on you. Said there was… an incident." James cringed.

"It was… supposed to just be a joke, Jamie. Something harmless for his birthday."

James walked over, patting her legs so he could sit down. "I know, love. Sirius isn't… mad. He's just worried. He knows you trust Regulus, but… well, it's hard for him to change. Whenever he thinks of Regulus, his mind yells 'Death Eater, Death Eater!' and he can't get it to say 'brother' anymore. He worries about you, and it scared him."

"I understand that," she said, opening her eyes to look at him. "Harry was the same way with one of our professors who was a spy for the Order. But… I can handle myself, Jamie."

James sighed, running his fingers through his unruly hair. "I know. It's just… Sirius loves you. You're his sister, and you're as close as I am, and you've been here for a month." He grabbed her hand and looked her in the eye. "He wants what's best for you. Wanna know what he told me before sending me in here?" Mia nodded slowly. "He told me that if it was real, if you did want to be with Reg, he would still love and support you. Nothing can take him away from you, and he wants to apologize whenever you decide he can."

Mia sighed. She knew she was overreacting. Sirius wasn't even really the issue. She'd felt so much when she kissed Regulus, and it made her nervous. She'd never felt such strong romantic feelings, and they confused her. "Did he tell you what Reg said about me?" She worried her lip between her teeth, watching James carefully.

"No, nothing," he frowned at her, waiting for her to explain.

"He just said... all this stuff about me. A lot. And, Merlin, I've never heard anyone say those things about me before. I wasn't even sure he was talking about me and not someone else."

James sighed, gently pulling her towards him and wrapping her up in a hug. "Regulus is out there, too. He was threatening to _Bombarda_ the entire wall." He frowned at her uncomfortable wince, and she waved her hand in the air.

"Umbridge, fifth year. The Inquisitorial Squad did just that. The wall nearly collapsed on Harry and the twins."

"She tried to kill my son?" James growled. Mia had told him who Harry was to him, and he'd been requesting stories occasionally. Mia raised an eyebrow at him, and he nodded, getting the point. "Anyways, he says that he's staying there until you talk to him, and if you refuse, he'll take down the wall."

Mia sighed, hugging him tighter and nodding. "I'll talk to Sirius and then Reg." She pulled away and smiled softly. "Thank you, Jamie." He cracked a crooked grin and nodded, kissing her forehead, before leaving and letting Sirius walk into the room instead.

"Hey, kitten," Sirius said nervously.

"Star Shine," she smiled softly. He relaxed at the use of his new nickname.

"I'm sorry."

"I know."

"I'm an idiot," he added for good measure. She shook her head.

"No, you're just overprotective." She sighed. "It was a bad idea, but he wanted to get under your skin, and it's his birthday, so…"

"Well," Sirius thought, nodding a little. "I guess I should just be glad the kid has a sense of humor and a taste for pranking."

Mia snorted, rolling her eyes, though she was smiling. "He can joke, you know. You just act like he's the worst person on earth."

Sirius shrugged as if there was nothing he could do about it. "Are we okay?" He asked shortly.

Mia nodded, standing to hug him. "I don't think I'd ever be able to stay upset with you." She thought for a moment before speaking again. "Although, there are some things from the future that I'm _extremely_ upset with you for, if you'd like to be yelled at for those." _Namely, dying._

He grinned at her, stepping back and throwing his hands up in surrender. "Can't damn me for what I haven't done yet, love." She rolled her eyes and nodded.

"Alright, fine. I'll… yell at you when I get back." The lie was hard to force out, and she could only hope he believed her.

"Right. Well…" he walked to the door, giving her a comforting smile. "Guess I'll let my brother come talk now. Remember… you're more powerful than he is, and he won't expect a muggle style attack." He winked and disappeared out the door. Mia gave a breathy laugh and rolled her eyes. Moments later, Regulus walked in, smiling softly at her.

"Mia-,"

"Don't apologize, Reg," Mia interrupted nervously. "You didn't do anything that we didn't talk about a million times first." He took a step closer, leaving little space between them. She sucked in a sharp breath, meeting his eyes.

"I wasn't going to apologize."

"You… weren't?"

"Mia, I meant every word I've said. And there's more," he smiled down at her as her eyes widened. "You make me feel safe, and you make me laugh. You're so fiercely loyal, sometimes I wonder if you _should_ be in Gryffindor. And I've felt _something_ ever since I met you, and it keeps pulling me in. I know you felt it, too, when we were kissing. Like a rubber band about to snap into place, and it _almost_ did. Kissing you is the very best thing I've ever done in my life, and I would very much like to do it again." He looked to her for permission and Mia nodded a little, her eyes wide in surprise.

He placed his hand behind her head gently, leaning down to press his lips gently against hers. Just as she had earlier, she let her lips fall open, and he accepted the invitation willingly, gently plunging his tongue into her mouth, exploring slowly, pleased when her own tongue came to meet his, battling for control. A rush of warmth passed through her body, and she cared about nothing but kissing him. They stayed like that for what felt like the most pleasant eternity before he dropped his hand, and she reluctantly broke the kiss, moving only to lean her forehead against his. She could feel his hot breath on her skin. Suddenly, Mia felt a gentle shiver of magic rush over her entire being, and a gold glow encircled them. She recognized it from books, and her breath was sucked out of her with a start.

It was a soul bond.

A few silent minutes later, Mia looked up at him, still close. "Reg?"

"Yes, Mia?"

"You know what just happened, right?"

"Yes, Mia."

She suppressed her panicked breathing as she considered the fact that he existed _here_ , in the past, and not in her time. It really was her luck. What if she failed to save him? It wasn't an option to begin with, but now… she knew very little about soul bonds, but she knew that they were the strongest and rarest type and were painful to lose. She had the chance to be happy forever right in front of her, and she had no damn clue what to do with it.

Suddenly, Regulus pulled back and pointed his want at her. She stumbled, having been pressed up against him and leaning on him, before she regained control and frowned, eyes wide. "What are you doing?"

"Who are you?" He demanded sharply. Her eyes widened as she immediately understood the problem. Ever since she'd met him, he'd been gently probing her mind, and her panic had given him the perfect time to find his way in.

"Regulus, _please_ ," she begged. "I don't know what you saw-,"

"Neither do I!" He snapped angrily, hurt shining in his eyes. "The first person I've trusted after Sirius, and you're _lying_ to me! Tell me the truth, or I swear I will not hold back." He warned her sharply, his eyes locked on hers.

With a shaky nod, Mia sighed, preparing herself for the task of explaining, though she knew he deserved more than the rest. He deserved to know all of it. "My name is not Mia Potter. It wasn't Mia until I got here and changed it for safety reasons… My name is Hermione."

"The Winter's Tale," he whispered, almost reluctantly. She nodded.

"My mum named me after her." She paused, taking a deep breath. She kept her shields down as she spoke, letting him check everything she said. He wouldn't trust her otherwise. "I'm sorry. I hated lying to you. It's just… it's so dangerous. If Voldemort knew about me, he would force me to tell him everything I know, and then kill me. I'm only keeping secrets because there's no other way."

She paused as he seemed to believe her. He still seemed angry, but there was reluctant concern as well, and she thought it was a good sign.

"October 31st, 1981, Voldemort was killed," she began. "He attacked a family - a mother, father, and child named Harry. The father died, but the mother sacrificed herself, protecting her son. Voldemort cast the Killing Curse at her son, and it rebounded, killing him instead. He… didn't die. He became a spirit.

"September 19th, 1979, Hermione Granger was born to muggle parents," she sighed, biting her lip. "In 1991, I attended my first year of Hogwarts… where I was sorted into Gryffindor." His eyes widened a little, and she nodded. "That's why I felt so… weird being here. Anyway, I was a loner for the first two months of school, being ridiculed because I was ahead of everyone else in our studies and was… well, my potions professor called me an 'insufferable know it all' if that gives you any idea."

"You said your professor was less than great," he nodded. She knew he was suspicious but he seemed to be unable to disprove what she was telling him.

"On Halloween, I ran into the bathroom crying after I heard a boy making fun of me. Our defense teacher that year, Professor Quirrell, had let a troll loose in the school. The boy who made fun of me, Ron, and his friend, Harry, ran to find me and saved me from the troll that had wandered into the bathroom. We've been best friends since. The rest of the year was spent investigating. Harry and Ron thought that our potions professor was trying to steal something from hogwarts. Well, fast forward, and the three of us managed to nearly get ourselves killed. Harry had gone to try and stop whoever was trying to steal from Hogwarts, and we followed. There were puzzles… Ron played life size wizards chess and was hurt winning the game. Harry ran off, and I stayed to make sure Ron was okay. In the end, the man died. It was Professor Quirrell - he'd been possessed by Voldemort." She paused, pouting a little. "We missed our exams that year."

He stared at her incredulously, though he nodded. "I believe you so far."

"Good. So… second year wasn't much better. The, uh… The Chamber of Secrets was opened." She watched his eyes widen comically. "Everyone thought Harry was Slytherin's heir because he's a parselmouth and was going around trying to kill muggleborns, which is ridiculous, really, since I'm his best friend." She huffed, still annoyed by that. "I was petrified for most of this, so I only know what I was told." She blushed, embarrassed. She might've saved herself with the mirror, but she had been incredibly upset that she'd been petrified in the first place. "Harry found a basilisk in the Chamber. Ron's little sister, my best girlfriend, Ginny had been taken down there by… Tom Riddle. Well, by the diary that…" she paused, running her fingers through his hair. Did he know yet about Horcruxes? "The diary that contained a piece of his soul." Regulus sucked in a breath, his eyes wide in recognition. "The horcrux was holding Ginny captive. Harry managed to kill the basilisk and destroy the diary before Ginny could die. Almost died himself, but Fawkes, Dumbledore's phoenix, saved him."

"Merlin," Regulus breathed. He'd lowered his wand a little bit ago and was staring at her in horror. "Mia, did you say a _horcrux_?"

She nodded gravely. "I did. Reg, they're so horrible. If you're around one for too long… it just does horrible things to you. It messes with your mind, and… they're horrible."

He stared at her, an unreadable look on her face. "You're not saying _you_ were around one for an extended period of time?" She shrugged, looking away. She heard him swear softly and sighed.

"Let's keep going, yeah? There's… there's a lot." He nodded, though he looked pale, and she continued. "Third year was different. Nothing within the school wanted to kill Harry or his friends, which was a nice change. But a man had broken out of Azkaban… he was after Harry. During a Hogsmeade trip, Harry found out that this man was his godfather. And then, a full moon months later, we were walking back to the castle from Hagrid's hut, and a big black dog resembling the Grim grabbed Ron by his leg and dragged him into the Whomping Willow." She paused. "It's there for a werewolf student, it leads to the Shrieking Shack. Anyway, Harry and I follow. We get there, and Ron tells us it's a trap. He pointed to the prisoner. The man… he…" Mia faltered, pain sprawled across her face as she remembered Sirius on that night, the complete lack of sanity and how he was so willing to let Harry kill him for a crime he didn't commit but felt responsible for. Tears prickled her eyes and she swiped them away aggressively before she started again.

"He was talking about killing someone. It was very dramatic, and we thought he meant Harry. We argued for a while, and then our defense teacher showed up and we found out he was friends with the prisoner. We kept fighting. The man was just… he'd spent so long in Azkaban, he wasn't quite right in the head anymore. He wasn't explaining things well, he was too emotional. He demanded Ron give him his rat, and we found out it was an animagus. He was to blame for the deaths of Harry's parents, not the prisoner like everyone thought. Harry kept the rat alive to take into custody for the prisoner's freedom. We left, but our professor was a werewolf and he was turning. The prisoner held him off and the rat got away. A howl in the forest drew away the wolf, but the grim was hurt. Harry tried to help him, but they were surrounded by Dementors, since the minister demanded they be there to catch the prisoner. They were trying to Kiss Harry and the prisoner.

"Someone cast a patronus though and the dementors left. Harry and the prisoner were found. Harry was taken to the infirmary while the prisoner was put in a cell to wait for the Kiss." She breathed out deeply. Third year was tiring to explain for a reason she couldn't explain. "I refused to let that happen. You see, Professor McGonagall had given me a legal form of time travel. It was supposed to send you a few hours into the past at most, which is apparently bullshit, but that's unrelated. I'd been using it to take every elective the school offered without overloading my schedule or burning myself out." Regulus raised an eyebrow and she pointedly ignored his doubt of her avoiding extreme exhaustion. "But Dumbledore told us to use it, so Harry and I went back. We saved a hippogriff that had been wrongly sentenced to death. I howled to distract the wolf - a poorly thought through idea - and Harry cast the patronus to save him and the prisoner. He cast it because he'd already seen himself do it, you see. We flew to the cell and I broke him out. He took the hippogriff and escaped, and we went back to the infirmary before anyone noticed we were gone."

"Who was he?" Regulus asked. It was the one thing she'd kept from him, and he'd been getting frustrated trying to figure it out.

"I… I really don't think that's a good idea," she replied slowly. "Please, just let that be."

He shook his head. "I need to know everything. Who was he?"

Mia's face fell at his stubbornness. She let her shoulders droop and spoke with great reluctance. "Sirius." Regulus's eyes sharpened. "He spent twelve years in Azkaban for murders he did not commit."

Her words were met with silence, and she could see Regulus trying to process what she'd said. "Sirius…"

"I'm sorry, Regulus. I promise you, I did everything in my power to save him," she whispered. Her mind shifted to the battle of the DOM and pain sprawled across her features. "He wasn't Kissed because of it."

"Just continue your story, Mia." From the look on his face, she knew he could tell something was wrong.

She nodded, understanding his need to focus on anything else. "Fourth year was horrible. The Tri-Wizard tournament came to Hogwarts. Someone entered Harry's name into the Goblet, and he was picked alongside a Wizard named Cedric to be Hogwarts' champions. Ron didn't forgive him for months. He'd wanted to enter and thought Harry had done it on purpose.

"The first task was a dragon. He had to get an egg from it with only his wand walking in. He summoned his broom and got it, and Ron forgave him pretty quickly after that. The second task was underwater. Each champion had a friend taken and given to the merpeople. I was actually taken for Durmstrang's champion, Viktor Krum. He grabbed me first. Harry came in last because he stopped to save someone else for a girl who was attacked underwater. He came in second. The… third and final task…" she cringed, wrapping her arms around herself at the memory. "It was a maze filled with traps. Viktor was Imperiused by a Death Eater who had kidnapped the man that was supposed to be our DADA teacher and used Polyjuice Potion to take his place. He Imperiused Viktor to make sure that Harry got to the cup without any interferences. He got Fluer, the Beauxbatons champion, out of the way and tried to get Cedric, but Harry hit him on the head, I think. He and Cedric," she sucked in a breath. "They both grabbed the cup and were portkeyed to a graveyard. The rat killed Cedric and cut Harry's arm, using his blood for a ritual that brought Voldemort back from the dead. Harry grabbed Cedric's body and escaped, grabbing the cup to get back to Hogwarts. The Death Eater posing as a teacher found him, but Dumbledore reached them pretty quickly and figured it out. I think that was when his nightmares started. He was never the same after that, and I don't blame him. Weeks after the final event, Dumbledore started the Order of the Phoenix back up and the fight against Voldemort resumed."

Regulus watched her carefully before he grabbed her hand, seeing her heavy hesitation to start again, and waved for her to continue.

"The ministry said he was lying, of course. And then during summer, Harry and his muggle cousin were attacked by dementors. He used his patronus to get rid of them and a squib helped them get home and informed Dumbledore of the situation. Harry got a letter - he'd been expelled. Dumbledore stepped in and got him a trial. He won, but the message was pretty clear - the ministry was against him. We spent the rest of the summer at Grimmauld Place," she sighed. "Your mother has a portrait. She is _very_ fond of screaming profanities at us."

"You said you'd met her."

"Only in portrait form, thankfully," she rolled her eyes. "Anyway, we stayed there and then went back to school. The ministry had put this woman named Umbridge in charge of DADA and she was… despicable. She used blood quills for detention. Harry's got a scar that says 'I must not tell lies.'" She took a deep breath, calming herself. "She made us read out books - there was no practical application at all. Just reading. Harry made a group called Dumbledore's Army and we came here," she waved her hand around. "To practice. People joined once they realized he unfortunately had experience in that stuff. It was amazing. But eventually Umbridge kicked Dumbledore out of the school and took control. She had a group called the Inquisitorial Squad make sure everyone stayed in line… it was horrible.

"A week before Christmas break, Harry had a dream that Ron's dad was being attacked in the ministry. He told Dumbledore and Ron's dad was saved, but Harry had to start Occlumency… he was terrible at it. I think the potions professor just used the time to bully Harry. Harry retaliated and put up a shield and looked at his memories… the lessons ended."

She paused, tensing. She would give anything to skip the last part of their fifth year. She _hated_ it. "June 18th, Harry had a dream that Sirius was being tortured in the Department of Mysteries. I lured Umbridge out into the forbidden forest after she caught us trying to check on Sirius. She tried to crucio Harry, but I distracted her. Anyway, she insulted the centaurs and attacked them, so they kinda… took her away. After that, we decided to go to the ministry, along with some of our other friends that had been in the DA. We got there, and there… there was a battle," she breathed. "Some of us got hurt. A… A Death Eater sent a curse at Sirius and… knocked him back into the veil of Death." She took in a rushed breath, trying to do anything but imagine the awful night. "He died." She wiped angrily at her cheeks and took a breath, shaking her head. She couldn't look at Regulus, but she felt his stare boring into her.

"Harry fought Voldemort. The ministry came and saw, and they had to admit he was back." She felt her hands shake, though it wasn't from her torture this time. She didn't have much left - just sixth year and then their time on the run. "Sixth year was bad, too. Some students didn't come back. Harry had private meetings with Dumbledore that he couldn't even tell us about. It was… he was learning about the Horcruxes. He was suspicious of a certain Slytherin being a Death Eater. I always told him, he couldn't be. I always said that surely even Death Eaters wouldn't do something so cruel." She laughed humorlessly. "Obviously I was wrong.

"This particular Slytherin had been given the task of breaking Death Eaters into Hogwarts and then killing Dumbledore. When they were on the astronomy tower, he disarmed Dumbledore, but… our potions professor killed him. There was a battle. I fought alongside some friends. I got hurt pretty bad," she shrugged. "Bellatrix threw a dark curse at me. I'd have died if Remus didn't push me out of the way. No one else died that night, though Ron's brother, Bill, was scratched by Greyback. Harry told us late that night about the horcruxes and his mission - he wasn't coming back to school because he had to find all of them and destroy them. Ron and I immediately decided to come, too."

She sighed, rolling her head back. Almost done. "Bill was getting married at the end of the summer. During the reception, we got a patronus. The ministry had fallen, the minister was dead - tortured, apparently, for Harry's location. They must've gotten it out of him, because there was an attack immediately after. Harry, Ron, and I apparated away, and we began our time on the run." She ran her fingers through her hair. "We went back to Grimmauld Place. Kreacher… he had one of the Horcruxes. I can't tell you why. Not because I don't want to, but because it involves you personally, and I refuse to threaten your personal future." Regulus looked surprised but nodded slowly, accepting her excuse. "We had to break into the Ministry to get it because Umbridge had it. It was a lot of time going from place to place, arguing, and running into snatchers… er, Death Eaters that arrested people when we said Voldemort's name." Her stomach did a nauseating flip at the thought of Malfoy Manor. She took a deep breath. She still had a little bit to go.

"We'd been taking turns wearing the horcrux, which was a locket. Ron faught with us, and left. We continued on our own for a while before we tried searching Harry's home when he was a baby," she sighed. "It was a trap. We were attacked. We barely made it out, and his wand was broken. We went to a forest and stayed for a while. Ron showed up. Harry had found something we needed to destroy the horcruxes, but it was at the bottom of a frozen lake. He dived in, _with the locket on_ _his neck_ , and got it. Ron saved him when the locket tried to drown him. They destroyed it that night."

She squeezed her hands into fists, digging her nails painfully into her palms. "Someone said it, though I'm not sure who. Snatchers showed up and caught us. I threw a stinging hex at Harry's face so they wouldn't recognize him. We were… we were taken to Malfoy Manor. They found the sword, which was what destroyed the horcruxes, and… Bellatrix was furious. She thought she'd had it placed in her vault, which she assumed to mean we'd been in her vault. She… separated us," she shivered, unable to forget the feeling of the torture, or to get the image out of her mind. "She tortured me. Then she did this," she whispered, waving to her arm. She paused then, taking many deep breaths in, trying to forget the cruel sound of laughter as she wished for death.

"We… we escaped. We went to Bill's cottage, and he formed a healing bond with me. After a while, I was allowed downstairs, but not out of my seat. I was sitting next to Fred while he and Harry played exploding snap," she sighed. "I had a time turner around my neck. There was an accident with the game, and the time turner exploded. Fred had grabbed my arm to move out of the way or to move me, I don't know, but he and I were transported twenty two years into the past." She sighed. "I was injured. The glass from the time turner had broken into my chest. James, Sirius, and Remus found us and took me to the infirmary while James went to tell Dumbledore what had happened. I was healed and reluctantly released and Dumbledore placed us with the Potters and into school."

"Merlin," Regulus breathed, clearly overwhelmed. Mia nodded.

"Fred is _awful_ at keeping secrets," she muttered, annoyed. "He first made me tell Fabian - his uncle - and then the marauders, and then his other uncle, Gideon. They're all extremely unnecessary and dangerous risks, but Fabian agreed to help us with the spell that'll get us home, so I'm not too upset about him."

Regulus took a few silent minutes to process everything. "That's… a lot." Mia nodded silently, letting quiet fall once more before, a minute or two later, she spoke.

"Do you hate me?"

"What?" His eyes widened. "No. Why?"

She shrugged self consciously. "I lied to you. I wanted to tell you, I really did, but it wasn't _safe_."

He nodded. "You're right - if the Dark Lord knew what you do, he'd likely torture you and kill you."

"So you're not upset?"

"No," he gave her a tired smile before looking at her seriously. "I will keep this secret with my life."

Her heart tugged painfully. They stayed there, sitting close together for a long moment in a contemplative silence. "Reg, can we… talk about what happened earlier?"

He looked down at her, surprised. His mind, too, had been on the subject. "Considering I ruined the moment by shoving my wand in your face, I think that's well deserved."

Mia smiled at him softly, gently tracing patterns over his Mark. "What are you thinking?"

He considered the question and put more thought into what the soul bond meant. "I think… I care about you a lot. I'd like to formally court you… er, perhaps without our families intervention at this point."

"Date," Mia laughed brightly, her stomach tightening in happiness. "You'd like to date me."

"I… suppose so," he nodded slowly.

"Regulus Black," she grinned. "Are you asking to be my boyfriend?"

He raised an eyebrow at her, but nodded firmly. "Yes, I am. Mia, will you be my girlfriend?"

She pecked his cheek. "Of course."

He breathed out slowly before leaning over and gently grabbing her face in both of his hands. She let him guide her to his lips and relaxed when they touched, treasuring the feel and taste.

She gave herself over to him in that moment. He knew her, past and present, and accepted her. More than that, he was _literally_ her soulmate. She grinned into the kiss happily. She'd already fallen for him quickly, but she wondered quietly how long it'd be before she well and truly was in love with him.

As best as she could guess, it wouldn't be long.

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	6. Protection

**October 15th, 1976**

"Stop that," James cringed, poking Mia's side. She ignored him, staying where she was. "You guys are disgusting."

"I'm literally just sitting on his lap," she argued, opening her eyes to meet his gaze. "If you have a problem with it, go plan your stupid pranks somewhere else."

"But someone in Gryffindor has been telling McGonagall," Fred told her, sounding annoyed. "It's not safe there."

"Then maybe, I don't know, don't plan pranks?" She suggested, raising an eyebrow. She felt Regulus chuckle underneath her and sighed - she knew it was a lost cause. "At least get better at being _quiet_ about it. Don't you know how to silence an area?"

The boys looked at her blankly.

And that was how she ended up slowly kicking everyone out of the room and asking it to transform into something else - the room they'd used for the DA. The group, consisting of all of the Marauders along with Mia and Regulus, filed back inside, looking around in wonder.

"Did you just recreate this from memory?" Fred asked, incredulous. It was perfect, down to every detail, including, to their surprise, the pictures on the mirror. She moved swiftly over as Fred caught the attention of the Marauders, Regulus behind her, and plucked them down. On top was the picture of the Order that Sirius had given Harry, and she smiled softly at the image of her friends. Promising herself to go through them later, having seen new ones that she hadn't seen before, she stuffed them in her bag, Regulus covering the motion.

She made her way back over with a melancholy smile, looking between James, Sirius, and Remus. Peter was there, too, and she'd been trying as hard as possible to ignore that fact. She pulled out her wand, waving it over Fred. " _Muffliato_."

The boy tried to speak, and grinned when no words came out. Cancelling the spell, she turned to the others, a serious look on her face. "That spell can be extremely useful when dueling. If you cast it at your opponent, they won't be able to speak and since most wizards actually can't cast silently, they'll be harmless, for the most part."

"That's brilliant," Remus laughed. "How did I not think of that?"

"Too focused on this stupid prank," she winked. "Really, I don't know how you expect to get the entire school dosed."

"Oh, that's simple," Sirius grinned mischievously. "We put it in the drinks."

She stared at him. "You really think the house elves will let you?"

"They've done it before, Little Lion," Regulus sighed, his hands resting softly on her hips. They'd come to stay by each others sides as often as possible, typically only separating for classes and sleep, if that. While no other attacks had come from Dolohov, Regulus was still cautious. He thought that perhaps seeing her with another Death Eater had slightly deterred the boy, but he knew it wouldn't last. "The Invisible School of 1974. Everyone was completely invisible, save for their clothes, for two days. It was generally chaos. They weren't the only ones to get detention - some other kids got naked and ran around the school doing… well, I'm not sure what, but it sounded extremely unpleasant… at least for whoever caught them."

Mia wrinkled her nose. "Please keep me out of it. I've got a lot to do."

None of them replied except for a promising wink from Sirius, which only made her sigh.

"I can show you some more of the advanced spells I know," she offered, looking at the room nostalgically. It had been a light in a dark time, guiding the way for the even harder times ahead. Time that she knew weren't over yet. When the group expressed their excitement, including Regulus, she gave herself a small smile. She was happy to do anything to prepare them for the upcoming war.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

In the end, she'd only taught them the muggle repelling charm that day. It had been simple but crucial during her journeys, and she was sure they'd find use for it, too, especially if they ended up fighting in a muggle area as aurors often did in the war.

Once she'd finished up there, she and Regulus had fled the room, leaving the Marauders - plus Fred, the honorary Marauder - to their own devices, a very dangerous thing in and of itself.

She'd settled into a comfortable pattern in the castle. She spent very little time in the Gryffindor common room unless she wanted to see Lily, rather spending it in Slytherin with Regulus and Severus, or in the Room with her boys and Regulus. She'd also begun bringing Regulus to her sessions with Fabian, finding his influence extremely calming, something that she needed when handling the volatile spell and the volatile sands. Still, he couldn't always come, and often left her alone with the man.

It wasn't until moments like right then, as Fabian put out a large fire in the dark, empty room, that she really saw his age. He was barely three years older than her, and she knew that he wasn't technically much more experienced than her - possibly less - but he had a relaxing presence that put her at ease, and he was always willing to help however he could. Besides, he had authority that she often needed, like right then as Professor McGonagall ran into the office in her nightgown looking rather harried.

"Miss Potter! Mister Prewett!" She gasped, pulling out her own wand to help them finish extinguishing Mia's frustrating mistake. "What is going on here?"

Mia slammed herself into the chair nearby angrily, completely ignoring her old head of house. The spell was odd in the way that it had the specific ability to incite strong negative emotions. She was certain it was the spell version of a horcrux and, thankfully, less deadly. So far.

"Minnie," Fabian gasped, unable to say much more. Mia gathered her wits enough to tuck the time turner under her neck as the woman surveyed the situation. Fabian took a few deep breaths and gathered himself, the young girl to his side obviously unable and unwilling to do anything. "There was an accident. Miss Potter and I were handling it."

"Well," the woman gasped, looking between them, confused. "Are either of you injured?"

Both of them shook their heads tiredly. "We've got it under control," Fabian promised.

"What is Miss Potter doing out of bed after curfew?"

"Professor Dumbledore," Mia spoke up stiffly. "Gave me a _private_ project. I cannot disclose the details."

McGonagall glanced at Fabian, who nodded firmly. "There may be a few disturbances for a while as we work on it, but we've got it under control."

"I will speak with Professor Dumbledore," she nodded, glancing between them. "I suggest you clean yourselves up and escort her to her common room."

With that, she left, and Fabian pushed himself over to Mia's side, kneeling to look at her. "Are you okay, pet?"

Her lips thinned as she resisted the urge to snap at him. She knew he had done nothing but help her, but she was so angry that it was hard. After taking a few deep breaths, she nodded silently. It was worse that time than the others, she realized. She'd known that the heightened emotions had gotten worse every time she attempted the spell, but it had spiked heavily during this session. When her emotions began to run rampant, the fire had started, flying everywhere in the room wildly.

It was only when her hair stopped sparking thirty minutes later that Fabian gently settled a hand on her shoulder. She pulled herself out of the chair and let him lead her gently through the castle. It was only when they reached the entrance to Slytherin that he slowed down and pulled her into a hug, having placed an arm around her shoulders immediately when they left.

"Are you okay?" He asked again. He felt her shrug lightly and pulled back. "Maybe we shouldn't do this again without Regulus."

Mia sighed, frustrated. "He's just not able to do this as often as I want to work on it."

"So," Fabian said slowly. "Maybe it takes a little longer. But this option, you won't kill yourself in the process."

"I'll think about it." The reply was short and tired, but she meant it. She'd bring the suggestion to Fred before Regulus, though. It was his time there, too, and she wanted to get him back as soon as possible. Fabian nodded his acceptance and kissed the top of her head, releasing her from his hold. "I'll see you tomorrow, Fabian."

"Oh," he said, blinking. "Actually, you won't."

"Huh?"

"Gideon and I have an important family matter," he smiled gently. "I'll just be gone tomorrow and Sunday. Back for class Monday."

Nodding curtly, Mia turned and gave the password, slipping into her common room. While she wasn't as red hot angry as before, she was still easily irritated, and his plans somehow frustrated her. Quietly, she slipped into her dorms, relaxing only as she let herself fall slowly to sleep.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Sirius?" Mia blinked, her eyes straining in the low light of the Gryffindor common room. "What are you doing up?" He was on the couch, twirling his wand between his fingers loosely.

"Can't sleep, kitten. Are you alright?" He waved her over, looking concerned. She knew it was because she didn't often visit them there, and she hadn't slept there since the night she'd arrived. Still, when the nightmares hit, it was the only place she wanted to go. She placed herself next to him and relaxed into his side as he wrapped an arm around her.

"Nightmares," was all she said. It was plenty.

"What was it about?" He wondered, rubbing her shoulder absently with his thumb. She felt a short burst of happiness at the act - she knew, had heard, that he was never this intimate with anyone else. It made her happy as it reminded her of her time in Grimmauld Place the summer before fifth year.

"Just… the battle of the DOM," she shook her head a little, willing the images out of her mind. They stayed right where they were, taunting her with her pain. "It was one of the worst nights of my life, Sirius. If I could… change anything, I really think it'd be that night."

"You wouldn't change Bellatrix? Or coming back here?" He asked gently. She heard the insecurity in his second question, and she shook her head slowly, thinking.

"Bellatrix… was important, in a way. Of course I wish it hadn't happened, but we had to go there, to do that, to find out that one of the things we needed was in her vaults," she frowned. "I still need to think of a way to get in there. But as for coming here, I wouldn't change it for anything in the world."

He nodded his understanding before turning back to the cause of her nightmare. "What happened that night? What happened to you that you'd change it?"

"Not… not to me, exactly," she shook her head, a confused frown on her face. It _hadn't_ been to her. She hadn't died, and she hadn't lost the last family she had. But still, she had lost someone that had grown important to her, and she'd counted on having him in her life. It had been uncomfortably startling to find him taken and to realize how upset she was, aside from Harry's loss. "Someone died that night… someone important to Harry. Important to me, too. It's just that… I don't know. Harry needed him more, I guess. He always had.

"But," she bit her lip, thinking of the times she'd sat quietly with Sirius in the library of Grimmauld Place, speaking softly about something or listening as he explained some obscure but important magical thing that she hadn't managed to find yet because it had more to do with families than community. "He was always there, you know, when I needed him. He was extremely kind to me. He knew when I needed privacy, or when I just needed, you know, passive company. Someone to be there with me that wasn't my boys.

"And he had the biggest heart. He loved Harry fiercely, and Merlin knows he would've…" her breath caught. "He _did_ die for Harry." She set her piercing gaze on Sirius and spoke in the most determined voice he'd ever heard. "I _will_ bring him back, Sirius. I promise. I will find a way to save him."

Sirius pulled her close and kissed the top of her head. "I believe you, kitten. But you have to remember, you can't save everyone."

She scoffed, rolling her eyes. "I can try."

He sighed, knowing she wouldn't change her mind after that nightmare. Instead of arguing, he nodded and shushed her to sleep. He fell asleep listening to her breathing quietly, and he imagined the determined dreams she would have of saving the entire world.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **October 17th, 1976**

"Potter," a voice called. It took Mia a few seconds before she realized James was nowhere around and that whoever spoke was speaking to her. She turned on her heel to find Frederick Avery standing across the empty potions classroom.

"Avery," she greeted, turning back to her scalamander tail and dropping it into the potion, watching the entire thing turn a hot pink.

"You've been spending a lot of time with Black and Snape," he commented. Mia rolled her eyes.

"That would be because they're my _friends_." She shrugged. "Besides, Regulus is my partner in potions and Severus helps me when I need it."

"It certainly doesn't look like you need it," he raised an eyebrow, watching her expertely dice the powdered roots of asphodel, protective spells already cast.

"What can I say?" She smiled as she plucked the roots up and dropped them in a container to dry out for two days before she could use them. "They're good teachers."

She was still hesitant about Avery, but both of her Slytherin boys had vouched for him completely, and she trusted them.

"Snape said you're… helping them," he spoke slowly, waving his wand silently around them.

"What do you want, Avery?"

"I want proof you can help, Potter," he stared her down in what she was sure would be an intimidating way to just about anyone else. Still, she'd fought too many Death Eaters to be afraid of this one. "And then we'll see."

"We'll see?" She quirked an eyebrow curiously as she cast another stasis charm on her cauldron, watching it still completely, vapors and all.

"We'll see if you can help me, too."

She resisted the urge to roll her eyes but nodded. "Come with me."

"Where are we going?"

She turned to look at him, sighing. "Can you trust me for long enough to retrieve something from my dorm and then return to an empty and warded classroom to speak?" The look on his face told her that no, he couldn't. "Okay, _fine_. I'll speak and then I'll show you proof."

"What is it, Potter?"

"It's about Voldemort," she rolled her eyes as he winced. "Fear of a name only increases fear of a thing itself, Avery. Work on that. Anyway, it's about where he comes from."

"His lineage?" The boy in front of her frowned in confusion as she nodded firmly.

"Yes. You see, his mother was a witch named Merope Gaunt. She had a brother and a father as far as I can tell. And the thing is, the Gaunts were the last of the Slytherin line. So that means that Voldemort is the heir of Slytherin," she rolled her eyes at a distinct memory of her second year. "But anyway. She lived in a town near some muggles. She fell in love with one, you see, but he had absolutely no interest in her. So, she dosed him with a love potion every day until he married her and got her pregnant. At that point, she stopped, thinking he'd truly fallen in love with her."

"That's ridiculous," Avery muttered, and Mia nodded.

"Yes, she was disappointed. He ran off, leaving her pregnant and alone. I think her family turned her away, if I remember correctly. She found an orphanage and gave birth there to Tom Marvolo Riddle. She died while giving birth. He was left there until he was eleven. He used his accidental magic to torture the other kids. I think he pushed one off of a cliff or something, but I'm not very clear on those details. Dumbledore found him and told him about Hogwarts. He came and learned. He was charismatic - all of his teachers loved him, and the students did, too.

"There was an… incident," she winced. "He was the heir of Slytherin, and he was a parselmouth. He used those to open the chamber of secrets - yes, it's real, it's in a bloody girl's restroom - and use Slytherin's sleeping monster to attack muggleborns. He knew, however, that Hagrid had an acromentula at school and was hiding him, raising him. A girl died in a bathroom - Moaning Myrtle - and he told Dippet that it was Hagrid with the acromentula. Hagrid was expelled, and he got away with it.

"He approached Slughorn for some extremely dark magic, stuff that no one should ever touch, and Slughorn gave it to him, stupid man. He graduated, disappeared, and then came back calling himself Lord Voldemort. Anyone that knew his name and where he came from was promptly… silenced, in one way or another."

Avery stared at her. "And you have _proof_ of all of this?"

She shrugged lightly. "Not all of it, but I can show you his family tree, and I can show you what magic he was looking at."

"If you can't prove all of it-,"

"Avery," Mia cut him off. "I have secrets. Important ones. Severus understands that and he trusts me. If you want my help, you need to trust me, too. You _cannot_ dig around - verbally or in my mind - for the truth. It'd be the end of not just me, but also the wizarding world entirely. _I am not exaggerating_."

The two stared at each other for a long, tense moment, before Avery nodded firmly. "Okay. Where is this proof?"

She smiled softly. "I'll be right back - I left my bag in my dorm."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **October 20th, 1976**

"Mia, love, if you keep pacing I will put you in a full body bind until he gets here," Regulus warned Mia. She glared at him darkly and continued to pace.

"Are you sure we should trust him?"

"I've told you a million times, it's a good idea."

"Do you not remember the last time you said that to me?" She stared at him incredulously. "Does your birthday ring a bell?"

Regulus grinned darkly and grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward him until she stood between his legs, him sitting on the back of a couch, and wrapped his arms around her waist. She stared at him. Being around 5'4", she wasn't the shortest of people, but she certainly wasn't tall, either. Still, Regulus was a shocking 6'2" that often surprised her when she looked up at him or, at times like these, when she should've needed to look down but they were actually at the perfect height to touch their lips. "I do, as a matter of fact, remember that." He kissed her nose, making her smile sweetly. "And the outcome was something you seem to like, Mia love. So no complaining."

She grinned and pressed her lips to his as he pulled her further against him. She relished in the feeling of his cool body against hers, his sweet lips settled against hers. The same uncomfortably warm feeling rose in her stomach, and she pulled back just very sightly, using the space to bite his lip gently, something they'd both come to love.

All Mia could think about, feeling his body against hers, his hands moving to her hair to thread his fingers into it, was how very _alive_ he was at that very moment.

Someone cleared their throat and Mia jumped with a squeak, making Regulus chuckle in a way that certainly should _not_ have been sexy. Staying close to his side but putting more polite distance between them, Mia turned.

"He's your potions partner, huh, Potter?"

"Best damn partner I've ever had, too," she winked before turning to look at Severus. "You're late."

He stepped forward, bowing his head at her a little. "My fault, Sano. We ran into Potter, and he didn't like the idea of just letting me pass in the hall." Mia scowled darkly, pulling herself away from her boyfriend and swiftly over to their friend, looking him over closely.

"What did he do?"

"Nothing I couldn't handle, Sano."

"Do _not_ brush me off, Severus Snape. What did he do?" She asked him sharply, her jaw set hard. Severus sighed and shrugged, something he'd never do in a room with more than just his friends.

"Sent some hexes my way, but I did as you asked and didn't hex back. He missed me, anyway."

Mia's eyes flashed angrily as she mumbled something under her breath. She looked him over two more times before she accepted that he was okay and turned back to Avery. "So, are you a Death Eater yet?"

He gave her a sharp look, probably for speaking of it as easily as if asking him if he were coming over for dinner, but he lifted his sleeve to reveal the dark and hideous scar. She nodded curtly.

"You know Occlumency, yes?"

"Every pureblood knows Occlumency, Potter."

Mia huffed at him and tilted her head. "So, why do you want my help?"

"Because I don't agree with anything they're saying. And the… violence, it's too much. No one deserves the things he does or has us do except maybe for him." He shook his head a little. "I only joined because they threatened my mother, and now she's dead. I'd rather not stay."

Mia smiled softly at him. He'd let her poke around in his head gently to simply fact check, and she believed him. "Okay."

He gave her a soft but genuine smile. "Thank you, Sano."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"James Charlus Potter!" Mia screeched, storming into Gryffindor tower, her hair sparking angrily. The common room was full again, bustling with Saturday life, but everyone fell silent at her screams. Mia had no qualms making a scene to prove a point. Everyone in the room turned to her, including the man in question.

"Uh, Mia?" James asked uncertainly, looking like he was considering the merits of just running for it. She stalked over, placing herself firmly in front of him and glowered at him.

"I understand that you've got some sort of _issue_ with Severus," she began. "I don't care if it's a house rivalry, or some stupid fucking fight over a girl that does _not_ belong to you, or a ridiculous personal vendetta, but you will _not_ under _any_ circumstances accost and hex him in the bloody fucking hallways! _Especially_ when he's walking by you like a normal fucking person!" Mia spat, her eyes wide with anger. She'd controlled herself when she'd been with her Slytherins, but they'd seen her snap, she was sure of it. Still, none of them had tried to stop her, so she didn't care.

James stood up looking a mixture of confused and defensive. "Mia, I don't know what he's said-,"

"James, do _not_ lie to me," she growled. "And don't even try to deny it. It's not as if this is some sort of new thing! I know you've been doing it since first year, but it ends now! It is _absolutely_ unacceptable. I've told you before, if you can't interact with him, then you'd better bloody well _avoid_ him. I want this to stop right now, James Potter, or I swear to Merlin, Morgana, Circe, Godric, Helga, Rowena, and bloody Salazar Slytherin that I will write Dorea and tell her _everything_ I know." Mia huffed and ran out, leaving behind a confused and slightly terrified James who was wondering, above all things, how on earth she knew his middle name. Just as he thought she was gone, she stepped back inside and waved her hand angrily at him, and he found himself with a growing head once more.

When she walked out of the portrait hole for the second time, Mia took a deep breath and went to the library to calm down. She ducked into a dark corridor, thankful no one had followed her. She was still seething. How Harry's father could be so… so _mean_ was completely beyond Mia, but she intended to change it.

She got to the library quickly and, luckily, slipped in without Madame Pince noticing her. She was walking back to her usual table when she saw a group of Slytherins gathered around Mary MacDonald, Lily's roommate, who looked… afraid?

"Come on, MacDonald, where's that Gryffindor courage? Aren't you going to do something? Don't you want to play?" The hair on her neck tingled. It was Dolohov, that much she was sure of, but there was something else to it. Some memory at the surface of her mind that she just couldn't quite reach.

Mary didn't say anything, but panic was evident on her face. The two Slytherins - Dolohov and Rabastan Lestrange, she thought - were stalking closer as if they were predators ready to pounce on their prey.

Mia knew one of them had touched her when she winced hard and Mia heard a whimper, which made the boys laugh loudly. Mia's blood was boiling, and she lifted her hand, waving it angrily at them.

" _Stupefy_!" She yelled, taking both boys down at once but expertly avoiding Mary. When they were down, she ran closer, hitting them both with a harsh stinging jinx for good measure. "Merlin, Mary, are you okay?" Mia frowned at the girl, looking her over to make sure they hadn't done anything.

"I-I'm fine," Mary stuttered. "Will you just… take me back to my dorm, please? I don't wanna be alone." She nodded at the girl and wrapped her arm around her.

" _Expecto Patronum_!" She cast her Patronus, gasping as it came out in the form of a red fox. She stared for a few seconds before she spoke, the girl beside her more important than her changed Patronus. "To Lily. Dolohov and Lestrange tried to attack Mary. I stopped them, but I'm bringing her there. Please clear out the common room and come to get her - there's something I have to do immediately." The fox ran from the room and she stared after it before casting the spell again. "To Regulus. Get to the Room _immediately_." She ordered, and this fox bounced from the room as well. She tucked Mary into her side and escorted her quietly to Gryffindor Tower, rubbing her arm gently the entire time.

When they got there, the only people there were, thankfully, Lily and Alice. They took the shaken girl from Mia and led her upstairs to comfort her. Mia took a moment to disillusion herself, unwilling to be stopped on her way there, and ran out, sprinting to the Room, fury driving her. She slowed down considerably when she got close, but apparently not enough as she barreled into Regulus and they both fell over.

"What the-," he paused. "Mia?"

She groaned painfully, rolling over and off of her wrist. It felt sprained at the very least, but she didn't care, not right then. "Please remove the spell," she requested. "I think I've sprained my wrist."

Regulus obliged and pulled her gently to her feet, leading her into the Room where she immediately turned to him. "Can you heal this?" She motioned to her wrist. He nodded slowly, confused by her enthusiasm. He did as she asked and was not surprised in the least when she then took out her wand and began throwing spells at the walls. He let her go for a few minutes before saying her name softly and coming up behind her, gently pushing her wand arm down to her side. She was sweating and looked angry, and he pulled her over to a chair and sat down, pulling her into his lap. She let him, looking slightly defeated. "What's wrong?"

"They fucking attacked her!" She yelled, wincing at her own volume. Quieter, she continued. "Merlin knows what they wanted to do to her! I don't even think she had her wand on her. She was in the library for fucks sake!"

"Slow down, Mia love. Who tried to attack whom?" Regulus asked softly, gently petting her hair.

"I went to the library and I found Dolohov and Lestrange hovering over Mary MacDonald. They were going to attack her. When they touched her, I stunned them and put a nasty stinging hex on them," she huffed. Regulus stiffened, staring at her. "And something weird happened… when Dolohov spoke to Mary, there was this memory at the top of my mind, but just out of reach. And she's safe. I took her to Lily and came straight here and… what's wrong?" She blinked, noticing Regulus's state. He stared at her, and she was shocked to see he looked _angry_. "Regulus?"

"You _attacked_ him?" He spoke slowly, his lips thinned into a tight line.

"No!" She stared at him, her eyes flashing. "He attacked Mary! I couldn't very well _let him_."

"Mia!" Regulus snapped, his hand coming to rest on her arm, squeezing it a little. "Don't you _care_?" He took a deep breath. "I don't think you understand what you've done."

"I saved Mary!" She yelled, leaping out of his lap, her angry slowly rising to meet his. "I will _not_ be sorry for that!"

Regulus pinched the bridge of his nose. "But in the end, you still attacked him, regardless of intentions, Mia. He won't forget that. He's already angry enough at you."

Mia fumed silently, locking eyes with her boyfriend. "Would you rather I let him attack her? Attack me? Do _Merlin knows what_?" She glared darkly. "Would you rather I _let_ him attack me once and suffer through that than defend myself, my friend, and piss him off?" She shook her head as he went to speak. "He's going to do it either way, Regulus. I will _not_ sit idly by. He won't touch me and he won't touch my friends. Do you understand?"

Regulus stared at her for a long moment, his silver eyes dulled to an angry grey. "I don't want you in more danger than you already are."

"Yeah?" she raised an eyebrow. "Are you talking about the horcrux that hung off my neck for _months_ , being constantly hunted down and tortured, or the threat of Voldemort finding out what I know and torturing and killing me?"

He stared at her darkly, not replying.

"Because I've been in danger since I set bloody foot in the wizarding world," she told him. "I think I know how to handle myself."

They were silent for a long moment before Regulus spoke. "Why don't we try Occlumency?"

Mia blinked, immediately confused. "What?"

"You said there was a memory you couldn't quite reach. Let's try Occlumency."

She stared at him, more confused. "Weren't we fighting?"

"We don't agree," he told her quietly. "And it seems that we won't. So I'd rather not dwell on the subject while we are both so worked up."

She nodded slowly. "Occlumency would work, I think."

Regulus nodded quietly and grabbed her hand, pulling her back over to the chair they'd been in. He sat down first and she followed after, putting a leg on either side of his lap, straddling him so he could more easily look in her eyes the way he needed to if he wanted to look at specific memories.

"Focus on him, and on that feeling," he instructed. She nodded and thought back to the niggling feeling of the memory escaping her. Regulus placed his hands gently on her face, less out of necessity and more out of desire, and quietly spoke the spell as he stared into her deep brown eyes.

They immediately fell into a very familiar memory.

 _Her arms were pinned behind her tightly, pulling her body awkwardly against someone else as they held her painfully. She watched her best friend fight next to Sirius, a desperate look in his eyes. She couldn't move, and it was driving her crazy. She itched to be free of the man holding her back and join the fight. Every fiber of her wanted to fight Bellatrix so Sirius wouldn't take the risk with the insane witch, so he'd go be with Harry. She'd been pulled away farther when the Order members had arrived, and the man had cast a spell around them and she felt a sob build in her when she realized no one could see her or the man holding her. Her friends had been released and had gone to work, helping to fight, and she felt hot tears prickle at her eyes as she was kept back._

 _She wanted to be free of this, to fight and help and ensure that no one died, but she couldn't. There was a man, a Death Eater, holding her back and hiding her from everyone else, forcing her to watch as her friends put their lives on the line because she hadn't stopped Harry from running off and being impulsive again._

 _She heard a low, throaty chuckle from behind her, and she felt his chest rumble with the laugh. It was the sort of sound that would haunt your dreams and wake you up at night. She twisted in his arms, but he just tightened his painful hold on her._

" _Do you like watching your friends die? I'm sure we can fit you in, after a game or two. Don't you want to play? It's been so long, after all." Her skin crawled at the words._

" _I've never met you before," she choked out._

" _Oh, you don't know me?" He laughed again, trailing his fingers up her arm. She shivered violently and twisted again, desperate to be free. She was distracted as she heard Harry scream._

 _Her eyes darted to the middle of the room where she saw the reason her best friend had cried out in agony._

 _She watched as the spell - which she recognized as a stunner - hit Sirius's chest. And while that alone wasn't the biggest problem, she saw the Veil of Death behind him and watched, helpless, as he fell in, reaching out for Harry even as he died. He slowly disappeared, floating away into the Veil, leaving behind a heartbroken Harry who was held back by a shocked and utterly destroyed Remus. Harry struggled, just as Hermione did, to be free of the hold, though he tried his best to run after Sirius, though she wasn't sure if he wanted to save him or join him._

 _The man behind her giggled in glee and twisted her around, this time surely breaking her arm as she heard a pop, and leaned close to say something._

" _I look forward to breaking you," he whispered, his breath ghosting along her ear, tickling her as her hair moved slightly._

 _She watched, wide eyed, as he backed up. She realized with a shock that he was actually quite beautiful. He had the sharp aristocratic features she had learned to associate with purebloods. His hair was a dark, curly black that hung loosely around his face. He was slim, but more in an unpronounced strength sort of way than sickly._

 _He trailed his finger across her jaw and dipped down to kiss her lips roughly before he brought down his spells and disappeared in a wisp of black smoke. She could feel arms wrapped around her, gentler this time, and hear someone speaking to her, though she didn't know what._

"Mia! Mia! Please, Mia, look at me!"

She could feel hot tears burning tracks down her cheeks and was vaguely aware of the sting in her throat. Had she been yelling? She looked around in a frightened daze, expecting to see Dolohov nearby, ready to hurt her, or maybe Sirius falling through the Veil. Instead, she turned and found Regulus's panicked face directly in front of her. She felt herself shaking violently as he rubbed her arms and spoke to her, though his words were lost on her.

"Sirius..." she whimpered, a sob escaping once more. She saw Regulus pull something from his robes and say something, but she still couldn't hear him. She wasn't sure how long they stayed there, Regulus rubbing her arms and whispering to her, holding her tight against him and begging her to calm down.

Eventually, she felt him remove his arms as they were replaced with another pair that was lifting her from her place on Regulus's lap and forcing her to stand as she was wrapped in a warm hug. She took a deep breath in, breathing in the smell of whoever was with her now.

"Sirius," she moaned again, still shaking. Her mind had not left the memory and it was all she could do not to release the sob building in her chest. "I can't-," she hiccuped, her body trembling. "Can't let him die again." She hiccuped again. The arms holding her pulled back gently, and she found herself face to face with a young Sirius, who was looking at her with terrified eyes.

"Kitten, I'm right here," he assured her. She wasn't sure what it was that pulled her out of the painful daze. It might have been his face and words mixed with his smell, but she wasn't sure. She blinked a few times before stumbling back, stealing herself away from him.

"Sirius… N-no…"

Regulus caught her as she tripped over the rug, and he wrapped his arm around her waist gently, holding her close.

"It's okay, Mia love. He's right here. He's right here, and he isn't going anywhere," he shot Sirius a dark look and his brother nodded sharply, looking as if he'd kill before leaving her. Sirius nodded toward the couch and Regulus gently guided Mia over, pushing her down carefully in the middle. Sirius sat to her right and Regulus to her left.

"D-do you think that was the right memory?" she asked, trying to gain enough composure to speak. "I've been having so many nightmares about it, it might not be the right one…"

Regulus's eyes darkened. "I'm certain. And I am _extremely fucking pissed_ at what he said and did, too." Sirius frowned at his little brother.

"What are you talking about?"

"Dolohov attacked Mary MacDonald in the library, and Mia had a lost memory jiggling around," he shook his head angrily. "I went into her memories - don't give me that look, I only did it after she agreed - and it would seem he was there the night… you died."

"What did he say to her?" Sirius demanded. Regulus felt sick at the memory.

"He held her in place," he began. Mia looked like she'd zoned out, but she looked calm enough that Regulus wasn't too worried. "And threatened to… play with her. He said he'd done it before. He touched her and _kissed_ her and said he'd enjoy breaking her. He also…." Regulus turned to look at his girlfriend, unable to watch his brother. "Made her watch you die."

Sirius let out a long string of curse words, a bout of accidental magic lighting the rug on fire. Regulus flicked his wand at it, annoyed. "Calm down. We focus on her first."

He, too, wanted to rant and rave. It had been horrible watching him scare her so bad, and the way she'd flinched in his arms when he'd kissed her had nearly broken him. He'd tried not to look as his brother died, but he was just grateful that he'd died in a somewhat peaceful way rather than torture and horrible dark curses.

The three of them spent that night, and the following one, in the Room. They hadn't contacted anyone, and they'd made sure no one would find the Room or be able to get in. Regulus would sit there and stroke her hair, peppering kisses along her face while Sirius held her hand and told her stories of when he was younger and lived at home with his little brother. He made up most of them, but they had the same effect of making her smile a little bit, which made it worth it.

Mia knew that this little haven wouldn't last forever, but she didn't care. They stayed there in that room and didn't bother going to classes, and Mia felt at peace, even for a little bit.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **October 23rd, 1976**

Sirius grabbed Fred aggressively and pulled him into a spare classroom, locking the door behind him and putting up a silencing charm. Fred pulled his arm away from Sirius, annoyed.

"I died," Sirius stated, his heart dropping when he saw Fred flinch.

"How-,"

"Mia had a panic attack so bad that my brother had to ask me to come help. Apparently she watched me die again and that's why." He paused, running his fingers through his hair and keeping them there, a sure sign of stress. "Mia was forced to watch me _die_?"

Fred nodded slowly, not able to look at his friend. "You and the rest of the Order went after Harry at the DOM. Bellatrix shot a stunner at you and you fell into the Veil of Death. She says it changed Harry that night, seeing you die, but I don't think she realizes how much it changed her, too." He sighed, leaning against a desk. "I'm sorry we didn't tell you. I think she's finding a way, though, to bring you back. I've found a few… darker books in her things lately when I was trying to help her pick up. She's also avoiding me, I think. I'm a reminder of the future where you're not there, and it hurts her."

"I'm sorry," Sirius said, not sure what else he could say.

"Why? I would rather she avoid me than be in constant pain. I feel the same, sort of, because of my brother. Besides, she's got Regulus, hasn't she?"

Sirius frowned but nodded. She did have him, and they seemed great for each other. There was something there that made them seem unbreakable, which while he'd never admit it, it made him feel better about the entire situation. She brought out a lighter, more playful part in his brother that he didn't think existed, while he showed her that not everything was her responsibility and made her let him help with whatever burdens he could. They were both happy, and had fun, and he was certain they already loved each other, though they hadn't said it yet. "Yeah. She does."

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	7. Duck Invasion

**November 1st, 1976**

 **Marlene McKinnon's Birthday**

Mia dropped the vial of Veritiserum on the table and sat in Regulus's lap, next to a smirking Sirius.

"And how, pray tell, did you acquire that, Miss Potter?"

Mia scowled at him. "I brewed it."

Sirius quirked an eyebrow. "I thought you were bad at potions."

Regulus leaned forward and kissed Mia's neck softly, discreetly letting his tongue flick over her pulse point, making her shiver. "She brewed it, but I showed her how." He grinned at his brother who screwed up his face in disgust.

"Oi, get your mouth away from that area. Don't take her innocence."

"My _what_?" Mia's eyes widened dangerously, pinning them on the boy to her left. "What business do you have worrying about this fabricated innocence of mine?"

"I agree with Padfoot, Mia," James announced from across the room, frowning at the couple.

Regulus nuzzled into her neck, his breath touching her skin gently and making the small hairs stand on end. "I don't think they like me touching you, Sano."

"They can bloody well get over it, or I will make them," Mia threatened. There was a cough from the other side of the room where Lily, Mary MacDonald, Alice Brown, Emmaline Vance, and Marlene McKinnon were stifling giggles. She'd become rather close with all of the girls after Lily had trapped her into a girls day, and she'd found they were all smart, driven women that were extremely intriguing.

It was Marlene's birthday, and the Marauders, Fred, Mia, Regulus, and the girls had all gathered in the Room of Requirement to celebrate. Mia had placed herself on one side of the table on Regulus's lap in their usual chair, while Sirius sat on the floor next to them. There weren't enough seats for people, but there were pillows and blankets scattered all over the place and no one really minded. The rest of the Marauders - now including Fred - were across the room distracting the girls while Sirius got the firewhiskey ready and laced it with the correct amount of Veritiserum. Fred had been stuck in detention all day after he was caught providing Peeves with balloons filled with the same sticking goo that Mia had charmed onto James when he'd attacked Severus. It was something he was immensely proud of, and it had given him his first detention since they'd gotten there - only avoiding them because he'd skipped all of his classes without reprimand, something they were sure Dumbledore had done - and so the teachers didn't recognize him and paid less attention to him when screaming at the Marauders. He hadn't minded it, but detention was like a pat on the back for a job well done, and she was happy to see him get one after nearly two months.

Sirius sniffed the vial and, satisfied, poured about a quarter of it into a full bottle of firewhiskey. He swirled the liquid in the bottle for a few minutes before calling off the Marauders. When everyone was seated, he told them the rules.

"Veritiserum or Dare, everyone." Lily groaned and Alice rolled her eyes, but Sirius waved them off impatiently. "Yes, I know, not the most original. But it's fun, and it's perfect for Marls."

It was true. Marlene was grinning ear to ear as she stared at the bottle. "Have I ever told you I love you, Sirius Black?"

"I'd be stuck in a fairytale if you did, Marls," he winked at her before turning to everyone else again. "So, who wants to go first?"

"I'll go," Regulus said, pulling his face away from Mia finally.

"Fine with me, if it gets your face away from her bloody neck," Sirius muttered. "Veritiserum or dare?"

"Veritiserum," Regulus said smoothly, kissing Mia's jaw before reaching out and pouring himself a shot, a system designed so that they'd only answer one question and not every single one that was asked of them. He downed it quickly, waiting for Sirius's question.

"Why do you and Snivellus," Mia hit his arm, hard. "Call Mia Sano?"

Mia took in a sharp breath and squeezed her boyfriend's hand tightly. "Because she's healing us," he said slowly, glaring at his brother. Mia let out her breath slowly as Regulus smiled sweetly at her, something that calmed her easily. Sirius frowned at the couple.

"What do you mean, healing you?"

"That's not how the game works, brother. My turn." Regulus turned to Mia, grinning evilly. "Veritiserum or dare, Mia love?" She glared at him. She knew he'd asked her something moderately horrible.

"Dare."

"Hmm." He tapped his chin thoughtfully, though she was sure he knew exactly what he wanted out of her. "Oh, I know. I dare you to wear my jersey for the next two weeks." He smirked as she opened her mouth before closing it again. She knew that it was actually a really sweet thing he was asking of her. She grinned brightly and leaned forward to kiss him.

"If I must, Reg," she teased lightly. She let herself relax into him again as she turned to Lily.

"Lily. Veritiserum or dare?"

The redhead eyed Mia carefully before she answered by grabbing one of the shots that Sirius had been pouring out into the numerous cups and placing on the table. She threw it back and grimaced immediately at the burn in her throat, but Mia wasted no time to ask her question.

"Do you have romantic feelings for Jamie?"

"Y-yes," Lily stuttered out, obviously trying to resist.

James's eyes widened as he stared at the girl. He looked at Mia and then back at Lily, like he wasn't sure he'd heard correctly. "Lily?" She ignored him, leaning forward to pick up another shot and passing it over to him. If he were even slightly hesitant, it didn't show. He downed it quickly, looking at her expectantly.

"Why do you always ask me out in such public and embarrassing ways?"

"Because I want you to know that I l-love you, and that I'd do anything, even embarrass myself a million times, just to get a single date with you. I want you to know just how much you mean to me."

Lily's eyes widened and she seemed to consider him for a moment before she stood, placing the shot glass back on the table for Sirius to fill again before walking over to James and grabbing his hand, pulling him up off the floor. "If you'll excuse us," she said quietly to her friends, leading James through a door that had appeared when the need arose.

"Well," Remus grinned. "Tonight is shaping up to be a great night."

"It's been long enough," Marlene sighed. "Now, Alice, Veritiserum or dare?"

The small girl rolled her eyes and poured herself a shot, downing it easily.

"When did you and Frank last see each other and why?" Marlene asked, a peculiar and very Slytherin look in her eye. Everyone knew that Alice and Frank were a couple, but the two never got to see each other. They were both extremely busy, and their respective friends took up much of their time.

"Last week. He p-p-proposed," she answered through clenched teeth. There were loud shrieks and Mia fumbled to pick herself up, managing to shove Regulus's face hard as she threw herself across the room to hug a sheepish Alice.

Regulus groaned and rubbed his face as his brother laughed not so discreetly at him. He watched his girlfriend beg for details and realized that it was the girliest he'd ever seen her. She looked happy, but also overwhelmed, like she was uncomfortable being around so many screaming girls but couldn't pull herself away.

About fifteen minutes later, the squealing was interrupted by James and Lily walking back, looking somewhat disheveled, but holding hands all the same. Lily frowned at the girls who had all huddled together in her absence. "What did I miss?"

"Alice is engaged," Sirius informed her, grinning at his best friend. James smirked in response, a look that was rare on him but that looked good.

Another ten minutes later and the squealing had ended, well and truly this time. Mia was sat on the floor in front of Sirius with James to her left and Lily next to him. She leaned her head against James's shoulder, smiling softly.

"Alice, it's your turn to ask someone," Marlene reminded her.

"Okay, um… Remus, Veritiserum or dare?"

Remus sighed. "Veritiserum." He tipped the shot back and waited for the question.

"Why do you and the boys, your friends and her Slytherins, act Mia's bodyguards? There's one of you near her almost all the time."

Mia realized suddenly that their closeness could very possibly be suspicious to more than just her.

"Mia is reckless," Remus answered slowly. She wondered vaguely if his werewolf metabolism even let the truth potion effect him. "And she runs into trouble to protect herself and the people she cares about. She has a very large heart, and she needs to be reminded, sometimes, that she needs to be careful." He paused. "And I suppose she's become family, even if she's only been here a little while. We love her. She's like a sister to all of us."

Mia felt herself blush under the criticism, but her eyes widened under the declaration of love. "Oh, Remus," she whispered, standing up to hug him. "I love you, too. What would I do without my boys?" He hugged her back, his cheeks flushing brightly under the attention.

"Probably get hurt," Sirius muttered in response. She pulled out of her hug and sat down again, squeezing James until the boy tapped her arm, signaling her to let go. Lily was snickering next to him at the sight. Finally, Mia turned to Sirius, who looked like a deer in headlights. "You love me," she teased, grinning as he squirmed a little. She'd known he did, and he didn't hesitate to show his affections, but saying the words, especially in front of a lot of people, was something that made him uncomfortable, simply because he was so bad at telling people he loved them. "You love me, Sirius Black, and you can't deny it." She could feel Regulus trying not to laugh as he watched his brother squirm.

"Yeah," Sirius said in defeat, though he offered her a soft smile. "Yeah, I do, kitten. Dunno how I could survive without you, honestly."

Mia smiled gently and hugged him before settling down between him and Regulus.

They all played for a few more hours, and it was pure fun. Everyone was properly drunk by the time the bottle was empty, and there'd been a few interesting dares, too. Mia had ended up shirtless and wearing the Black heir ring - surprising everyone as it let her put it on instead of refusing - Regulus had gotten an impromptu haircut that Mia insisted she'd later fix and had also taken his shirt off, making Sirius and James uncomfortable as the couple stayed close. Remus had kissed Mary to her immense pleasure, and Marlene had fallen asleep watching all of her friends happy faces. In the end, she couldn't have asked for a better birthday.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **November 6th, 1976**

"Mia," Regulus said slowly as she walked into the room. She looked up, glancing between him and… Sirius?

"What's happening?"

"Do you remember that night you showed me your scar?" Sirius asked quietly. "I told you I might be able to help you hide it."

"Yes…"

"Well, I spoke with Reg, and we think we can do it," he smiled softly. "It isn't permanent - it'll wear off within a year and you can't apply it again, but it's there for you to use until we find a more permanent solution."

Her eyes widened in shock, looking from Sirius to Regulus before her eyes fell on the small bottle sitting on the table in front of him. "How… I don't…"

Regulus stood, the bottle in his hand, and gently tugged her over to him. She let him, settling down onto his lap. He opened the small bottle and spelled out some of it, dropping it down onto the middle of her horrible scar. She let out a sob as it disappeared into pale, blemish free skin. By the time Regulus was finished, tears were falling freely from her face.

"Thank you."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **November 15th, 1976**

"I can't!" Mia screamed, her eyes flashing with an angry golden color that had begun when she started using the spell. Wandless after Regulus taking it from her in her rage, she twisted her arm, snapping her fingers shut and threw a bright ball of fire at the brick wall in front of her, scorching it.

She felt someone move behind her and froze as arms wound around her waist, holding her tight. She turned, tilting her head up to find Regulus's concerned eyes staring down at her golden ones.

The change in her eyes had been extremely startling, and they'd demanded she stop while they looked into it. In the end, it had been Charlus that had gotten in touch with her. Being an Unspeakable, he had access to what she needed. While he absolutely was not able to reveal any true reason for the change in her eyes when she felt any sort of intense emotion, he'd promised that she was safe, if not a little more powerful, though he hadn't expanded on that, either.

"Mia," he whispered, his voice soft. She fought the frustration as she calmed down - she didn't want to calm down! - and stared into his eyes, using them to ground herself. She stayed there for a long moment but breathed out slowly when she felt truly calm again. He stroked her cheek gently with the back of his hand, staring down at her. "You're worrying me. What is it doing to you?"

"I… don't know," she shook her head sadly. "I don't know, Reg."

"Aren't you scared?"

"I'm terrified."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **November 16th, 1976**

Mia stared at the sight in front of her, flabbergasted. She felt Regulus, Severus, and Avery stopped short as they too saw what she was seeing. All four of them were utterly speechless.

They'd found their way to the great hall late, planning to grab a quick breakfast before going to the library - Mia had asked for all of their help in researching something, and none had been able to say no once they saw such deep desperation in her eyes.

Still, they found themselves stuck at the doors, staring at five boys surrounded by a large group of… ducks.

Mia breathed out slowly, closing her eyes and trying to pretend they weren't there. When she opened them again, she was disappointed to find they hadn't disappeared despite her wishes. "James."

The boy turned, his grin brightening at the sight of her. "Mia! Oh, don't worry. You can come in. It was in the drinks."

Hesitantly, Mia took a step forward, grateful when nothing happened. Confident in her ability to enter the room and survey the situation, she moved quickly now, stopping only when she'd gotten uncomfortably close to James. "Jamie. While I understand that you've somehow turned the entire school into _ducks_ , I only have one question for you."

"Yeah?" He raised an eyebrow, looking at her in confusion when she seemed to laugh at him.

"Did you perhaps forget to warn Lily?" She saw his eyes widen dramatically and she laughed out loud, turning to look at the mingling animals around her. "Do you even know which one she is?"

"I'm a failure," he claimed, shoving his fingers into his hair in stress. "I can't even pick out my girlfriend in a group of people!"

"She's a _duck_ ," Regulus pointed out, amused.

"You couldn't have warned her," Sirius complained. "She'd have told McGonagall and it would've been ruined."

James looked more stressed than Mia had ever seen him, and she patted his shoulder sympathetically. "You'll figure it out, Jamie." She watched over his shoulder as two ducks bit each other and winced. "How long will they be like this?"

"An hour," Remus answered with a shrug. She nodded and raised her wand, pointing to the doors. She cast a few spells silently before turning back to them.

"Now they won't leave," she explained before doing the same to the doors the teachers used.

"But that was half the fun," Fred complained lightly. She rolled her eyes.

"I think we'll be going to the kitchens for our breakfast," she nodded toward her Slytherin boys. "But let me know when the school is human again, yeah?"

"Sure," Remus smiled kindly. "I'll come find you."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Potter," a voice drawled, bringing Mia back to reality. She was with her boys in the library, though she'd wandered off toward the restricted section to find the darker books she needed. Dumbledore had given her full access when she claimed she didn't have access to Hogwarts in the future and told him it was for the war effort. It was partially true - she hoped to find a better way to get into Bellatrix's vault. But that wasn't the real reason she'd wanted to search through the section.

She stiffened as she recognized the voice and cursed herself for separating from everyone completely. She was sure that, if it came to it, she could scream and they'd be there right away, but she didn't want it to come to that.

"Dolohov," she replied smoothly, turning to face him. He had Rabastan Lestrange with him, and she felt her nerves pick up.

"What would _you_ need in the restricted section?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at her. He was much too relaxed, too comfortable in the situation. She felt out of control, and she hated it.

"Special project," she replied shortly. "What do you want?"

"Well," he began, stepping closer. There was still a table between them, but she knew it didn't matter. "I thought I'd look for some advanced defense spells. You see, Lestrange and I were in the library the other day, and we were just attacked! We were simply speaking to a _friend_."

Mia grated her teeth, glaring. "You were _not_ ," she spat. "You were going to attack Mary and you _know_ that. Don't pretend like you're so innocent."

"How _dare_ you speak to me that way?" He demanded, his voice louder but not loud enough to attract attention. "Don't you know not to be rude to your superiors?"

"I haven't seen any superiors around, but I'll be sure to watch my attitude if I do," she remarked. He moved closer, stepping around the table until he was uncomfortably close to her. Her heart rate picked up at his angry, insane look.

"How _dare_ you speak to me like that?" He spat. She was frozen in place as he lifted his wand, slanting it down as it swished through the air. " _Sectumsempra_!"

She gasped as she felt the curse split her skin open, slashing through her robes and cutting her chest, both arms, and her stomach deeply as the curse arched down and back up again in a U shape.

"Perhaps _that_ will teach you to respect me," he growled. "Or I'll give you a more _in depth_ lesson next time." She wasn't sure when it had happened, but she'd fallen to the ground. He leaned down and pulled her head up by her hair before slamming her head into the hard stone beneath her. She heard him laughing as he walked away and twisted her body in pain.

She wasn't sure how long it had been by the time someone found her. Not as long as she'd expected, but she'd lost a lot of blood, since Sectumsempra split you open and then pulled the blood to the wound quickly. She blacked out slowly as she saw shoes approaching hurriedly, wishing only to stay awake.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Why does she need this?" Avery wondered as he joined Severus and Regulus at a table with his own pile of books. He set them down carefully and pulled off the top one - _Spirits and Souls and How to Connect Them_ \- and opened it slowly.

"It's complicated," Regulus sighed, running his fingers through his freshly cut hair. Mia had, in fact, fixed the poor job Alice had done. It was down to his ears now, and had Mia grinned when she saw he was unable to put it up. It was wavy, something that his girlfriend seemed to love, so he didn't mind losing the hair he'd spent years growing out. "It's to save a life."

"Bring someone back, you mean," Severus corrected, flipping through his own large book. Regulus shrugged and looked at his own. It had come from the library at Grimmauld Place. He'd written his father and asked for some books and they'd been sent, no questions asked. He was grateful for that fact, because he was unsure how he'd explain the odd category he was looking into.

"Someone died," he agreed. "She's decided that's unacceptable."

Severus laughed softly. "Of course she did."

They read in silence for nearly a half hour before Regulus winced as his wrist burned. He lifted it up and shoved his sleeve away, his stomach dropping as he saw Mia's bracelet glowing a bright and dangerous gold.

"Fuck!" He yelled, standing and shoving his chair away. He flipped the pendant over and saw her location - the restricted section. Where she'd said she'd be. His friends stood now, too, staring at him curiously. He ignored them and took off, running through the bookshelves until he came to a stop outside the locked doors. He fidgeted anxiously as he looked for his wand in his pockets and then pulled it out, throwing a barely contained _Bombarda_ at the doors, blasting them off their hinges. He sped into the section, looking around furiously until he found a pool of blood coming from around the corner. He felt his breath leave him even as he took off in that direction, vaguely aware of his friends hurrying behind him.

He stopped short at the sight in front of him, unprepared. Mia was lying on the ground, unconscious and covered in blood that was pouring from her at an alarming rate. There was a deep cut along her entire torso, and her head was at a weird angle, prompting him to look at the wall behind her, only to find more blood there.

"Merlin," a voice said behind him, sounding panicked and jolting him out of his stillness. He dropped to the floor, picking her up in his arms and holding her close.

He pointed his wand at her and muttered a few spells, but none did anything to touch her extensive injuries. "Nothing is happening," he told them, horrified.

Severus fell to his knees next to them and pulled out his own wand silently. He waved it gently over Mia, whispering. " _Vulnera Sanetur_ ," over and over, his voice almost too soft to hear. He watched as her skin slowly moved back together and the bleeding slowed, eyes wide. Nearly ten minutes later, he was done, and looked up at him. "She needs to go to the infirmary. She's lost too much blood - she's nearly dead."

Regulus was already well aware of that fact, his wrist still burning brightly. Still, he stood with her in his arms and made his way to the infirmary, certain that they were following him still. He reached it quickly, thanking every god that existed that the library and infirmary were on the same floor. Rushing in, he found an empty bed for her while Avery found Madame Pomfrey.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia threw her head to the side, whimpering as she felt it throb. She felt a hand in both of hers and knew that she was in the infirmary, if the uncomfortable bed underneath her was any clue.

"Mmrph?" She mumbled, her mouth not quite working yet. She opened her eyes slowly, wincing at the bright light around her. To her right and holding one of her hands was… Severus? She blinked, wondering if she'd seen right. She knew he cared for her, but… what happened? "Sev?"

"Mia," he breathed, looking incredibly guilty. "You're awake."

"What… happened?" she managed, frowning. She remembered very little.

"Someone attacked you," he replied quietly. "They used a… a curse that I invented, it rips you open and works like a magnet for blood, pulling it out quicker. It almost killed you. They also hit your head pretty hard, and Madame Pomfrey said there'd probably be a little bit of memory loss, just for a bit."

"Do you know who it was?" she asked, trying to shove down the panic that was rising within her.

"Dolohov," Regulus growled. Her head shot over and her eyes fell on her boyfriend, who looked furious and also devastated. Still, as he said the name, a memory slipped into place.

" _How_ dare _you speak to me like that?"_

She nodded numbly, looking down at their hands. "He and Lestrange cornered me in the library. He used _Sectumsempra_ and… I don't really remember what else, but there was a threat in there," she told them as she shook.

"I'm sorry, Sano," Severus told her softly, gathering her attention again. "I had no choice but to give them the spell."

"It's okay," she shrugged a little. "I know you didn't mean for this." She thought back to what Harry had told her of the curse. It had cut Malfoy deep and had bled him badly. Snape had refused to take him to the infirmary, instead using the counter curse right there, and Mia had a feeling Madame Pomfrey wouldn't have been able to do anything about it. Draco would've died, had Snape not shown up. She cursed Harry inwardly for how stupid he'd been to use that book. A book which she'd seen Severus carrying around. Part of her itched to burn it, but she resisted. It had to be there for Harry, for better or for worse.

"Your bracelet works," Regulus commented quietly after a moment. She frowned in confusion before she understood, her eyes widening.

"That's how you…?"

He nodded. "It burnt my arm. I think it's because you were so close to death."

"It's likely," she thought about it. "It's connected to my core, so the brighter it is, the darker my core is. I wonder if it noticed the threat before I got hurt or after."

"I'd say after, but it took us so long to get there that I can't be sure," he sighed irritably.

"Hey, I'm okay," she promised. "How long have I been out?"

"Two hours," Avery answered as he entered the large room and made his way over to them. "I just let your Gryffindors know and told them not to come until later."

She nodded gratefully. She knew they'd be worried, but she couldn't handle their excitable energy. She appreciated the calm company of her Slytherins. With very little convincing, she closed her eyes again, this time comforted by the fact that she was certain Regulus at least wouldn't leave her side.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **November 19th, 1976**

"Where have you been?" Fabian wondered, looking Mia over. She no longer looked worse for wear, though she still felt it. Regulus had been bugging her for the details of what exactly happened and while she'd remembered the second time she woke up, she was unwilling to share until he'd calmed down more.

"Nowhere," she lied. "I was just busy. There was an… incident, and I had to take care of it."

"She's lying," Regulus scowled, moving to her side as he entered the room. She swore silently as he looked at the man in front of them. "Dolohov attacked her. She nearly died."

"I don't think it was _that_ bad," she argued weakly. Regulus pinned her with a dark stare, and she fell silent. He'd been incredibly intense since she'd been hurt, and she was starting to worry for him.

"Yes, Mia, you _did_ ," he told her firmly before looking back to Fabian, who had moved closer to look at Mia more critically, now looking incredibly concerned. "Dolohov nearly cut her in half and gave her a concussion so bad that she either can't remember what happened, or she refuses to tell me."

Both boys stared at her, and she huffed. "If we're not going to work, then why am I here?"

"I already told you," Regulus spoke slowly with the tone of someone who was quickly losing their patience. "I don't think you should do this today."

"It doesn't affect me physically," she gave the same argument she'd been giving all day, suddenly understanding his plan. He knew that if Fabian knew what happened, he'd refuse to help her. She'd woken up with the time turner missing and while Regulus had promised her it was safe, he'd refused to give it back.

"You shouldn't be out of bed!" He snapped. He paused to take a deep breath, allowing his anger to fade just a little. And he was certainly angry. He was angry for how she had refused protection. He was angry that she hadn't called for help when she'd been cornered. He was angry that she refused to stop pissing off the most dangerous person in the school. And he was angry that, after all of that, she _still_ didn't give a shit about her health or her safety.

"We're not doing this today," Fabian agreed, looking firm. Regulus sagged slightly in relief even as Mia ranted.

"I can't put everything on hold just because I got a little cut," she hissed, glaring at both of them. "This is important

"Well," he said slowly. "Regardless, you are not working today. You have to rest. In fact, I won't see you about this for another two weeks."

Mia's eyes widened. "Two weeks?"

"Yes," Regulus nodded. "Dumbledore excused you from classes for that long, anyway."

"He did _what_?"

Regulus shrugged. "Avery told him exactly what happened. Dumbledore seemed to think you'd need time to rest, and I agree. Everyone does. So please, Mia love, please rest."

She paused as he begged her to rest. It was a sight she didn't like, and she gave in reluctantly. "Fine. No class, no spell."

"Thank you," both of them said. She looked between them and, despite herself, felt a surge of affection. She loved both of them for caring so much.

She froze.

She loved both of them.

She loved _both_ of them?

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	8. Christmas

**November 21st, 1976**

Mia stared at Sirius in silence. He was watching her carefully, and she could see the gears turning in his head.

"Wanna say that again?"

"We need to do a blood bonding ritual."

"So, I did hear you right. You are insane."

Mia had found the ritual in the days she'd been forced into rest. It had rested in one of the books Regulus had gotten from Grimmauld Place. She knew it was dark magic, but she didn't care. "It's important, Sirius. I know how serious - don't do it - I know how serious what I'm asking is, but I know what I'm doing. Do you trust me?"

"With my life," he said immediately. She gave him a sad smile. His life was exactly why she needed to do this to begin with. "Look, Mia, it's not that I don't trust you. It's just… when James and I were younger, we kinda did a blood brothers thing. So you'd be bonded to him, too."

She shrugged. It didn't bother her at all. "That's fine. He's already my brother." Sirius shook his head, sighing.

"Fine. I hope you know what you're doing, Mia."

She grinned brightly at him and kissed his cheek. "I do. I did a lot of research to find this bond." She led him into the circle she had drawn on the floor. It was covered in runes and very carefully placed. There were odd candles on the outside of the circle, and she smacked his hand when he moved to touch one. "Don't touch anything. This took me hours to set up."

She had him stand on one side of the circle and placed herself across from him. She grabbed his hand and twisted it until it was palm up in the middle of the circle. Pulling out her wand, she waved it over Sirius's hand, muttering in a language he didn't recognize. The entire thing, he was certain, was deep, dark magic, but he knew it had to be important if she were dipping into the darker magicks. He remembered the book she'd pulled out on her first day of class and trusted that she was informed enough to handle a bond like the one she was making.

She looked at him and nodded at the knife in her hand. She was shaking a little, but she managed to hold steady as she pressed it into his hand and sliced it open until there was a small pool of blood. She turned his hand over silently, squeezing his blood onto two runes only.

She then cleaned off the knife and handed it to Sirius, pointing quietly at the runes for her. Nodding, he repeated what she'd done, though she could see him wince as he split her skin open. She tilted her hand over and let the blood drip onto the right runes before turning to Sirius.

"Do you, Sirius of the House Black, Heir to the House Black, bond yourself to me, Mia Potter of House Potter, for all eternity?" Mia asked, staring at the boy in front of her. She'd written Dorea and asked her if, in binding rituals, she needed to use her old name or her new one. According to the woman, magic would accept both, but any rituals would be stronger when bound to an Ancient and Noble House, and since Mia had been taken into the House, she was free to use it.

"I do."

"Through the Veil of Death, will you heed my call for all eternity?" Sirius shivered at her words, his eyes wide.

"I will."

Mia waved him on and they repeated the vows in reverse, Mia promising the same as he had. She doubted they'd need it, but it was always good to have a backup.

The circle glowed a dark blue color and they both felt something around their wrists, like a tight bracelet, being burned into their skin. It lasted a few minutes and then it was gone, along with the blue light, leaving behind a thin black circle on both of their wrists that resembled a muggle tattoo.

They stood there, staring at each other for a long minute before Mia grinned brightly. "Thank you."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"You did _what_?"

"Ow, Severus, not so loud," Mia winced, rubbing her temples. She'd had a headache from the magical drain the ritual had caused. It technically called for three people - the two being bonded, and then one to bond - but Mia had refused to involve anyone else, and she knew she was powerful enough to handle it regardless.

"You _bound_ yourself to Sirius Black," he repeated, staring at her with wide eyes. Avery was sat to Mia's left, examining her wrist quietly.

"Mia," Avery spoke slowly. "This resembles a _very_ dark ritual. What did you do?"

"Probably the one you're thinking of," she shrugged. "And I'm extremely exhausted from it, so if you could _lower your voice_ , Sev, that'd be wonderful." Both boys stared at her for a long moment, making her fidget uncomfortably. "What?"

"Did you do the ritual _yourself_?" Avery asked carefully. She nodded, shrugging.

"I know it calls for three, but I can handle it, and I didn't want anyone to be involved in the dark magic if they didn't have to be. They didn't."

"Merlin," Severus said. Avery nodded. She looked between them.

"I didn't think it was that big of a deal," she said, nervously picking at her robes. "Do you think it messed up the ritual?"

"No, this looks right," Avery answered, shaking his head. "But it just means you're… much more powerful than you probably think."

"Why?"

"Well," he seemed to struggle deciding what to say. "The last person that tried bonding a blood binding ritual while being part of it had their core completely drained during the ritual since she was using the core as she was binding it to someone else's. It killed her."

Mia reeled, silent as she processed his words. "I'm just tired. My head hurts, sure, but I'm not… I don't feel near death or anything."

"Well, I suddenly feel even more confident in your abilities," Avery told her truthfully. "I don't think the Dark Lord could even do that."

Mia sat quietly, processing the new information as her friends turned back to their homework.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **December 4th, 1976**

Mia was walking with her boys to the pitch before the game started. She was wearing Regulus's jersey happily, and only got a few odd looks for wearing a Slytherin jersey and walking with the Gryffindors.

She'd kissed her boyfriend good luck earlier that day and had separated to support her other friends as he went to the pitch for an early morning practice. She had one arm linked through Sirius's and the other through James's, grinning happily as she walked with them, joking and talking quietly. Remus was the commentator for the season, so he was already in the box with McGonagall, going over the rules that he'd promptly ignore, just as every commentator did.

When they reached the locker rooms, Mia gave her boys a peck on the cheek each, wished them luck, and then separated from them. Fred had gotten a last minute spot as a beater when one of them had been pulled quickly from school - something that was happening more lately, like in Mia's original sixth year. She made her way to the Slytherin stands and found Avery and Severus. They separated, forcing her to sit between them. Rolling her eyes at their dramatic concern for her safety, she sat down and smiled. She was bouncing in her seat in secretive excitement by the time the teams reached the pitch. James, Gryffindor captain, stood in front of McNair, the Slytherin captain, and shook his hand roughly.

The game started quickly, and Mia smiled, hearing Remus commentating. "And the quaffle is in the air! Gryffindor chaser James Potter catches it and passes to Longbottom. Longbottom catches it and… he throws it and scores!" The crowd cheered loudly.

The game continued on easily until Mia saw the Gryffindor seeker, John Travers, straighten and stare ahead at something. He'd found the snitch. She glanced at the boys next to her and grinned before raising her wand and silently muttering the necessary charm to enact the spell she'd carefully woven in the night before, shrouded in darkness and modified muggle repelling charms, making it work like a ward so no one saw her.

The effect was instantaneous. The Gryffindor stands were yelling in anger as they looked at their robes, which were now green and silver. Slytherin burst into laughter or clapped, along with a few from Ravenclaw and even fewer from Hufflepuff. All of the players, including the Gryffindor seeker - the intended target - all spared a look at the stands. By the time he looked back for the snitch, it had disappeared into the sky once more.

"They're gonna kill me for this," she laughed brightly as Sirius spotted her in the stands and raised an eyebrow, looking annoyed and amused.

"You have no self preservation, Sano," Avery sighed, though he, too, looked to be enjoying her fun.

"And it looks like Regulus Black has spotted the snitch! Black sends a bludger - Sirius Black, that is - at his brother, but it's intercepted by Bulstrode and thrown back at Fred Potter and… Regulus Black has caught the snitch! Slytherin wins, 210 to 70."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **December 9th, 1976**

Mia turned into the large room where her friends would be waiting and stopped short at the sight in front of her. It was confused, a little blurry and she knew it was a boggart immediately, but she couldn't help the fear that crawled into her chest and made itself at home.

In front of her was Bellatrix Lestrange, wand out and pointed. She was laughing and screaming, but she stopped, shifting into something else. Suddenly, it was Dolohov, whispering in her ear, promising to hurt her and do whatever he wanted and waving his wand around, ready to curse her. She felt a sob build in her chest at the sight and backed up slowly, wrapping her arms around herself. The thing shifted once more into possibly the worst of the three.

On the floor were the bodies of Regulus, Avery, Severus, James, Lily, Remus, Sirius, Fabian, Gideon, Harry, Ron, and Fred. They were in a large pile and there was blood everywhere. She let out a scream and tried to run forward but was stopped by a pair of arms wrapping firmly around her. "No!" She screamed, struggling. "Let me go!" She gasped, a sob breaking through. "Regulus!"

"Mia!" Regulus called, his voice confusing her thoroughly. She stared at his body, bloody on the ground. "Mia, it's not me. Hey, turn around. I'm okay."

"Regulus," she whimpered. He held her tight to his chest and turned her around as Severus walked in and quickly got rid of the boggart, shivering at the sight in front of him.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"I'm not upset," Mia sighed, annoyed. It had taken her nearly an hour to calm down completely back to normal, and when she had, they'd explained what happened.

Regulus had previously wondered about the bracelets they shared and whether they alerted them to perceived threats or to real, current attacks. He didn't want to put her in danger, though, so he'd found a boggart - which were, while frightening, essentially harmless - and placed it in the room for her to find. He'd realized that the bracelets didn't, in fact, inform one another of a perceived threat, but was then horrified to find her breaking down at the sight of her loved ones dead bodies.

"I'm serious," she promised. "It was something we needed to know. If you'd told me about the plan, I don't know if I'd have been as afraid."

"I'm sorry," he whispered again, still peppering kisses across her face. She let him. She'd forgiven him, but it was his turn to forgive himself.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **December 11th, 1976**

"Yaxley and McNair will be given the Mark over the break," Avery whispered.

"Mm." Mia was flipping through a book of runes, frustrated.

"There will likely be attacks throughout the holiday. I suggest you be careful and ensure you go nowhere alone."

"Mmhm," she responded absently, reading a page closely.

"Sano, are you paying attention?" Avery asked, gently pulling the book from her hands just as she finished reading it.

"Huh? Of course," she lied badly. She looked across the room at Severus and Regulus who were spread out, finishing their homework. "Boys, come here. I think I've found something."

Her Slytherins walked over, plopping down in the chairs next to Avery, who was across from her, separated by a small table.

"Take your shirts off, all of you." Regulus and Avery took theirs off quickly, as they all knew she was looking for something that had to do with them, but Severus hesitated. She gave him a small, kind smile of encouragement and he took his off reluctantly. Avery wasn't surprised at the scars on his housemates chest and back, but he saw the look of rage and horror on their leader's face. She didn't say anything, though, but only drew her wand and pointed it at her boyfriend.

"Ready to be my guinea pig, love?" She asked with an evil grin.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "I trust you." She placed a kiss on his cheek and started muttering an incantation. When she was done, she drew a paw print on his torso, small and just on top of his ribs. It glowed for a minute before it settled in and turned the same matte black color that resembled tattoo looking bond that was on her wrist. She stepped back to look at her handiwork before pulling up her shirt a little to see the same mark in the same spot on her, ignoring the way Avery glanced at some of the more obvious scars that showed for the brief moment.

The paw print was small and looked like a tattoo on his ribs, but if someone of the Light - in Dumbledore's Order - touched their wand to it, they'd know he was on their side. Mia had taken the idea to Dumbledore, and he'd approved greatly after she insisted it wouldn't change a thing, stating the clear need for spies and his want to save souls. He told her he'd get the news out to the Order and to make sure she did it before break.

She waved Severus over and repeated the process, once more feeling her own ribs burn slightly before it faded as his did, too. She gave him a small smile and a peck on the cheek before she pulled Avery over as well. He stood still as she did the same to him. When she was done, her soft smile made him abruptly remember why he was doing this. He saw how _alive_ she was, and realized that it was people like her that made life worth living.

He hadn't come to her to find a friend, or family, but he'd gotten both, and it made him feel a little better about the otherwise hopeless world around him.

"Thank you, Sano," he said quietly, his voice thick with emotion and nearly a whisper.

She turned to him, shock written on her face. "It should be me thanking you. I literally couldn't do any of this without the three of you."

"Without you, I'm not sure it'd be worth doing, Sano."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **December 21st, 1976**

"Mia, are you purposefully trying to make us miss the train, or are you just really bad at managing your time?" Sirius asked impatiently.

"Shush. I have something for you, and it's important that I give it to you now." She said, shoving a black box with a silver bow into his hands. He grinned at her cheekily.

"You didn't have to get me anything, kitten."

"Yes, I did, Sirius. Now open it," she demanded, the seriousness in her voice surprising him. He did as she said and opened it, pulling out a beautiful but plain silver chain. "It's a portkey to Potter Manor. I made it last night. It'll take you straight there - through the wards since you've been keyed in since you were eleven - as long as you're wearing it and say _Portus_."

"Mia, I don't know what to say." He slipped it onto his neck and hugged her tightly. "I love it." She hugged him back close, breathing in the smell of him.

"Just promise me you'll wear it," she asked. He nodded a little as they separated, his fingers moving to find it and fiddle with it.

"I'm never taking it off, kitten," he said sincerely. "I promise."

She smiled gratefully and made her way to the train, separating from him to sit with her Slytherin boys for a while. She still needed to give Regulus his, and Sirius had been right - they were running pretty late. She slipped into the compartment that held her boyfriend and friends and sat happily on the bench with Regulus, tossing her legs onto his lap. She reached into her robes and pulled out another box, the same black with a silver bow and handed it to her boyfriend. He took it gratefully and opened it as she explained what it was.

"It'll set you outside of the wards, since you've never been there, but Dorea said she'd have an elf looking out for you and that you're always welcome there." She gave him a soft smile. "I know you probably won't use it, but if you're in a lot of danger, or you need somewhere to go… it's there."

He accepted it gratefully, placing it around his neck. She smiled happily at the sight and leaned her head back, closing her eyes.

It was barely a half hour of silent travelling before a question occurred to her - one that she'd been meaning to ask for months. "Hey, isn't anyone suspicious about you three hanging out with me while I hang out with James and Sirius and them?"

Regulus shared a look with his friends before shrugging. "We just told them you were our little spy in their group. No one cares."

She laughed brightly. "That's brilliant."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia was sprawled across the bench on the train, her head in Remus's lap as he read to her and stroked her hair. They had become comfortable together, and had established a kind, close friendship based in safety - he became a place she could go to just calm down, or even rant about things he didn't understand and then lie there as he read to her afterwards. It was something she cherished greatly.

Now, he could smell the anxiety on her. So, he had tugged her down and began reading where they left off in some obscure muggle book that neither of them had ever seen before. Every once in a while, Mia would interject, commenting on some confused grammar or how outdated the ideology of the book was, and Remus would smile to himself and agree wholeheartedly with her.

Eventually, Remus thought Mia was nearly asleep when she sighed and opened her eyes, looking up at him. "You have a mate." Remus blinked at her.

"I have a _what_?" he asked, startled.

"You have a mate. You're older than her, but when you finally get over yourself and finally get together… Merlin, Remus, you're so happy. It's a forever kind of thing, and I love watching you two together. You balance each other out… literally," she laughed softly, though there was sadness in her eyes. "She's rather clumsy. You catch her a lot."

"I… I have a mate," he said incredulously. "But… what about-,"

"You do not infect her, Remus," Mia said impatiently. "You take necessary precautions to keep her safe. Besides, you couldn't hurt her if you wanted to. It's just how mates work."

"I'm… happy?"

Mia nodded hard. "You are _so_ happy."

"Why are you telling me this?" he asked, frowning.

"Because I wanted to see someone have hope."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **December 23rd, 1976**

"Dorea, you don't have to do this."

"Of course I do. Now go on. We only have an hour before we need to get home." Dorea gave the girl a loving smile and patted her on the shoulder, sending her away to the shop.

The two had grown close over the time they'd been there, owling constantly. Since Dorea and Charlus had figured out their circumstances, Dorea had become her confidant in as much as she could, excluding anything to do with James or Sirius. They'd easily grown attached to each other, and Dorea had confided that she felt as if Mia had always been her daughter. The words had made Mia emotional, especially considering she'd permanently Obliviated both of her parents before the war.

With a bag of money inside her beaded bag that Dorea and Charlus had insisted she take, she made her way through Diagon Alley, looking around for the gifts she needed. She'd explained to them everything she needed, and they'd easily given her the money, stating that anything that was important to her, was important to them, too.

She made her way into a goblin jewelry store and placed her order, which was large, but she paid extra and was assured it'd be ready the next day and sent to her through owl post, along with seven identical and already made rings.

Satisfied with that, she made her way over to Ollivanders and smiled kindly at the harried wizard, who looked exactly the same as he had when she'd seen him before she left, except much healthier. She made her way with as little conversation as possible, picking out everything she needed - wand holsters and a second wand for herself - and paying for it quickly before escaping, her breath quickening. He, unfortunately, had served as a great reminder of Malfoy Manor and she felt panic rising.

She was tense as she made her way quickly through the bustling stores. Her wand dropped abruptly into her hand as someone grabbed her wrist and pulled hard. As she fell into a small alley between two stores, she shoved her wand into their face, pushing hard until they were backed against the wall.

"Sano!" the person called. She paused, taking a deep breath. She felt herself shaking badly as they put their hand on her arm and gently pushed it down. She let them, closing her eyes to calm her breathing. "I'm sorry. I tried to warn you, but you didn't pay attention."

"What are you talking about?" She asked, opening her eyes hesitantly. Avery was staring at her nervously, looking concerned for her. She pushed down the annoyance and waved him on as he hesitated.

"You were marking us," he explained. "I was speaking to you as you looked through the book, but you weren't listening. I didn't get a chance since, and I thought you'd heard. There's to be an attack today. _Now_."

"Fuck," she whispered, looking around. She knew Dorea and Charlus had made their way to Gringott's and hoped that they stayed there long enough to stay out of danger. "Okay. Thank you."

"I did not mean to startle you," he said slowly. "The raid is in an hour. If you call the aurors, they can evacuate in time."

"Yes, of course," she agreed, ignoring his apology. "I'll call Fabian and Gideon."

"Are you okay?" he asked bluntly, looking her over. She shrugged self consciously. He'd caught her in a bad moment, but she knew she was still shaking. Ever since Regulus had figured it out, she'd been much stricter in taking her potions, but she still found herself shaking and in pain if she didn't. She'd taken one that morning, but it had been nearly eight hours, and it was almost worn off.

"I'm fine," she sighed. "Look, I need to get a message to Fabian. I'll see you at the ball, okay?"

Avery agreed reluctantly, watching as she ran through the crowd toward the bank, his nerves on fire.

Why did that small woman have to worry him _so much_?

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **December 24th, 1976**

In the end, Mia had reached Dorea and Charlus waiting in line still at the bank and quietly informed them of the situation. She'd already stopped to send Fabian, Gideon, and Dumbledore messages, and once the three had arrived at Potter Manor, Charlus sent out more messages, one of which went to Mad Eye Moody, much to Mia's relief, as she knew he lead a great many aurors at the moment.

Charlus informed her later that night that because of the warnings she'd received, no one had been hurt, and they'd even been able to capture at least four Death Eaters. With that victory in mind, she relaxed, smiling as she heard a tapping on her window. She opened it quietly and pulled the package away, handing the bird some bacon she'd broken into pieces and saved for that exact occasion. The bird accepted it gratefully and flew away quickly into the storm.

Turning to her package, she took a deep breath as she opened it. There were eleven separately wrapped rings, all in small, velvet boxes which were, in turn, inside of velvet bags.

She pulled all of them open and set them on her desk, looking down in satisfaction. The rings she ordered were made specially by goblins to absorb and trap magic or anything that had magic, the same way the Gryffindor sword had absorbed and kept the properties of the basilisk venom.

After organising the rings, she looked at the first two in the line. They were nearly the same, a rich red and gold and black down the middle, but one had a stripe of brown mixed in and the other had purple. Those two went to Fabian and Gideon.

There was another pair that were similar. They were each black, outlined in silver, but one had a red stripe down the middle, while the other had green. Those two went to Sirius and Regulus respectively.

Another ring was smaller - less like a class ring and smaller, more feminine in nature. It was a soft pink and a beautiful rich red with blue mixed in, reminding Mia of spring flowers. That ring went to Lily.

One was rather simple, a Gryffindor red and gold, and it went to James.

The next one was a soft brown with an earthy green and blue, which was meant for Remus.

After that was a beautiful emerald mixed with silver and a subtle plum. It would go to Severus.

Then was a soft silver with dark blue and a deep green gems spotted through it, and that was for Avery.

The last two were for Mia and Fred. Mia's was smaller, like Lily's, and it was a beautiful, pastel purple with a deep blue and a silver that matched Sirius and Regulus's eyes. Fred's was a deeper purple with a brilliant orange wrapped around it.

She spent a few minutes casting different spells on the rings for protection - each ring would function as a shield, giving the owner easy access to their wand while protecting themselves. They would also absorb any dark magic sent at them that she could manage. It wouldn't handle Unforgivables, but it would take care of at least a few common dark spells. After placing the protections on the rings, she turned all of them into portkeys and sat down, satisfied with her work.

Mia sighed and worried her lip between her teeth, putting the rings away. She remembered the night when Sirius told her she couldn't save everybody. She'd not been able to forget it. Was he right? She didn't want her work to be for nothing, and she didn't know if she could handle losing everyone.

She shook away the thoughts, sifting through her bags and bringing out some more things to wrap. She'd let the house elf, Tilly, take most of it after arguing for ten minutes. She'd been left shocked as the small elf skipped out of the room happily, holding her gifts in her arms and whistling. She'd gained an appreciation and healthy fear of the little thing, and decided to let her do whatever she wanted. She'd spoken with Dorea about house elves and the woman had explained in depth the bond the elves needed in order to survive, and had sent along books as well that told her exactly the same thing. She'd relaxed after that, but she still wanted to do things for herself if she could.

After wrapping the few gifts she'd hidden from Tilly, she made her way over to James's room and plopped onto his bed, finding Fred and James playing exploding snap by the window.

"How can you play that after what happened last time?" Mia asked, wrinkling her nose at the sight. Fred spared her a quick glance before turning back.

"Well, are you gonna come stand over here with the time turner?" he rolled his eyes. "Maybe we could go visit my grandparents when they were in school."

Mia ignored him, laying flat on the bed. Her mood had been slowly declining all day, anxious and worried about Sirius.

Ten minutes later, Fred looked up at the bed after the small explosion covered James's face in soot. He frowned, glancing at her hands gripping the edge of the bed so tightly that her knuckles were turning white from the pressure.

"Mia."

Nothing.

" _Mia_."

Nothing.

"Mione."

Nothing.

"Hermione!" He said loudly, causing her to jump and swear loudly. She looked over to him, frowning in annoyance.

"That's not my name anymore, Fred. How many times do I have to tell you?"

"Well, I tried using Mia, and you didn't hear me," Fred sighed, ignoring James's snickering.

"What do you need?" She asked, glaring at her brother, promptly silencing him.

"You're making yourself sick worrying," he told her gently. "I thought your fingers were gonna fall off if I didn't say anything." He smiled kindly as James pushed himself out of his chair and moved over to her, sitting down. She turned on the bed until her feet were hanging off the end and her head was in his lap.

"What's got you so worked up, Mia?" James asked, stroking her hair gently. He heard her mumble "nothing" and shook his head. "It's something. Can't you tell me?" He asked, and she looked up at him with a sad, dark look on her face.

"No."

James frowned but nodded, reaching out to grab her hand as Fred moved onto the bed too, moving behind them and lying down next to Mia. She rolled onto her back and James let himself fall back onto the bed so that they were all lying down but continued to gently pet her hair. "Look on the bright side, Mia. Tomorrow is Christmas!" James said, grinning like a kid. Mia gave him a faint smile.

"Yeah, it is." She paused. "And if you wake me before seven for less than a life or death situation, I will give Lily every bit of blackmail I have on you." She grinned. "Which is quite a lot, Jamie."

James rolled his eyes and reached over to poke her stomach. "I'll let you get your beauty sleep, don't worry, Mia Mine."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"You filthy blood traitor!" Walburga wailed, waving aggressively at Bellatrix who then sent another long and painful _Crucio_ at her young cousin. Sirius writhed in pain, his throat burning and raw from the silent screaming, his uncle having long ago silenced him. Regulus stood in the corner of the room, spending all of his energy making sure his expression was unreadable.

Bellatrix held the crucio for ten minutes before Orion told her to stop, looking irritated and possibly worried. "Are you ready now, boy?" Bellatrix asked impatiently. They'd been at it for an hour and Sirius was still as stubborn as ever.

Sirius spat blood at her, and Bellatrix, despite Orion's loud protests, screamed another crucio. He wondered when he'd begin to not feel it as much. His body was balled up in as tight of a circle as he physically could as he endured the torture, waiting for it to be over.

Another five minutes later and Cygnus scowled, pushing his daughter's wand to her side. "He isn't worth it, Walburga. Just blast him off the damn wall. Regulus here can carry on the Black legacy."

"Fine. He's no son of mine, damn blood traitor," Walburga muttered angrily, leaving the room, presumably to blast him off the family tree. Her husband and cousin followed and Bellatrix did as well, but not before throwing a few deep slicing hexes at Sirius. Eventually, it was just Sirius and Regulus in the room, and his brother ran to him, pulling his chain from his robes. Sirius looked at him darkly.

"Come with me."

"I-I can't," Regulus shook his head, his voice breaking. He pointed his wand at the chain around Sirius's neck and sent him away, blinking tears from his eyes. Sirius disappeared with a soft pop, and Regulus let himself fall to the ground, wishing more than anything to be with his brother.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia felt a burning tug on her wrist and looked down, seeing the black line turn a bright gold. It took her a few minutes to understand, and she ripped the blanket off of herself and ran, stumbling down the stairs and into the drawing room where she found a bloodied and broken Sirius. She let out a sob and ran to him, falling to her knees and lifting him into her lap. "Sirius? Love, please look at me. Please, oh fuck, please look at me," she begged, holding him tightly against her, aware that it helped with the immediate after effects of the cruciatus. "Fuck- _Jamie_! _Fred_!" She screamed at the top of her lungs, trying to wake her boys.

When they got down there, they found her covered in Sirius's blood and gripping him, sobbing quietly. It broke her to see him like this, and she was painfully reminded of his death.

"M-Mia? Oh, shit…" James gasped, running next to her. "Tilly!" There was a pop and a house elf appeared, already holding a first aid kit.

"Mistress Mia already told Tilly and the others about tonight, she did. Told us to be ready, yes she did," the house elf explained, setting to work.

"Mia… you knew?" James asked, shocked. Mia nodded a little, her sobs growing louder with her guilt. Fred had disappeared up the stairs again to find Charlus and Dorea.

"I- I did everything I could, Jamie," she hiccuped quietly. "I gave him a portkey so- so he could come home, come get help." She was shaking as she held Sirius, refusing to let go. James moved to her, wrapping an arm around her shoulders as he watched his broken friend.

"You must've saved his life, Mia."

"Don't let him die again," she begged quietly to no one in particular.

Dorea flew down the stairs, Charlus at her heels. "Where is he? Where is my son?" She yelled, hysterical. Mia was startled by her desperation and was too surprised to fight when Charlus pulled Sirius's limp body from her arms. He moved immediately over to the fireplace and walked through it, disappearing to St. Mungo's.

Mia collapsed to the floor, staring at the blood soaked into her pyjamas and coating her arms. James moved forward after speaking quietly to Dorea and pulled her into a tight hug, Fred joining on the other side. The three sat there for a long time, nearly an hour, before someone suggested they try and get some more sleep. Unable to part, the group all made their way to James's room and laid on his bed together, silent but all worrying for their friend - their brother.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"He died."

"James-,"

"Tell me about it," the boy asked. Mia gave him a long look.

"It was the battle of the DOM. The Order found out we'd gone, and they came to help. The only reason we were there…" she dug her nails into her palm, trying to distract from the pain. "Harry had been having nightmares, ones that could've been real. He saw Sirius being tortured, so we went. The Order came to help, but we- I was… being held back by Dolohov. He made me watch as Bellatrix cursed Sirius, knocking him into the Veil of Death." Her voice cracked. "He died. Do you… remember those days when I disappeared along with Sirius?"

James nodded slowly.

"Reg was trying to help me find a certain memory, and we stumbled on Sirius's death. I was… a mess. I don't remember much from those days. I just know both of them stayed with me."

James had flipped over and was watching her face as Fred slept silently on her other side. They were nose to nose now, and he wiped away some tears that had fallen while she spoke. "I can't imagine…"

"No, you can't, and I don't want you to try. Did Sirius tell you about the ritual that we did? That I asked him to do?"

"He just said you did a blood bond, like he and I."

"I assure you, it was nothing like yours. Jamie, I know I shouldn't have, but… I can't…"

"Mia, what did you do?" He asked carefully. She hadn't really told anyone outside of her Slytherins about the ritual, and no one else had recognized it.

"It was some… pretty dark magic. Most people use it to enslave other people, sometimes it's used in old pureblood marriage bonds, though it became illegal in 1836. He knew. I know he did. He let me do it. I just… I'm bringing him back, Jamie, when I get back home. I can't let him leave me like that. He can't die, James." She paused, staring at her brother. She couldn't save him. Could she? "James… I need to ask you a favor."

"Anything."

"No, it's serious. I need you to swear it on your magic."

"Mia?" He frowned at her deeply. "What is it?"

"There's going to be a point in your life… when Harry is a year old, that Voldemort finds you," she began. She knew she was too emotional, but she wasn't completely certain why this wasn't possible. "And he's going to kill you." She felt James still and began speaking quicker now to comfort herself and him both. "I have a way to save you. I need you to use it. Your family will survive as well. I _promise_." She felt bad lying. She knew Lily wouldn't survive - couldn't survive - but James could, and Harry deserved that. _She_ deserved that.

James looked at her for a long moment. "I, James Charlus Potter, swear on my magic that when Voldemort finds me, I will save myself instead of dying."

Mia sagged in relief and pushed herself into his arms, tears flowing down her cheeks. "Thank you."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **December 25th, 1976**

The three slept for two hours before they were woken by a tired but smiling Dorea. She got them dressed and fed quickly before rushing them over to the hospital to see a damaged but very much _alive_ Sirius.

Mia was sitting on Sirius's left and holding his hand while James and Fred were on his right, James holding his hand and Fred touching his shoulder. They were all silent and tense as they sat with him. Charlus had gone home to contact Sirius's uncle, Alphard Black, about gaining custody of Sirius now that he'd been officially disowned.

Mia felt a small squeeze on her hand as Sirius opened his eyes slowly. "Sirius!"

"Hey there, kitten," he said quietly.

"Padfoot," James said at the same time as Fred. They shared a brief look before turning back to their friend, James speaking alone now. "How do you feel?"

"Like my insane cousin helped my mother try to kill me," he laughed weakly.

Mia winced.

"Sorry," he gave her a small smile. She knew how it felt to be tortured by that woman, and she didn't think she'd ever find jokes about it funny. She smiled back weakly before nodding at James and Fred.

"I'll go get Dorea and a nurse." She left quickly, leaving the three boys alone.

"My mother wanted me to-,"

"I know," James cut him off. "Mia told us."

"She… knew?"

James nodded sadly. "She was in a really bad place all day yesterday. I guess I get it now."

"That's why she gave Reg and I the portkeys… fuck," he groaned. "She knew, and she saved my life, Prongs."

"She thinks it's her fault," Fred told him sadly. "We tried telling her that she saved you, but she just said you shouldn't have gone through it to begin with."

"That's fucking stupid," Sirius scowled before his mind shifted to another matter. "Reg wouldn't come with me. He sent me home but he wouldn't come with."

"I'm sure he had a good reason, Padfoot."

"Maybe."

Mia walked back in with a large man and his mother - his adoptive mother, the one he called mum and loved with all his heart - in front of her. When everyone was in the room, she left again. Sirius let the nurse run his tests and shove potions down his throat while Dorea held his hand. When the nurse left, Dorea took a seat next to her son.

"Alphard delivered some papers for us to adopt you this morning."

"Good," he nodded firmly. "You've always been my mum."

"And you've always been my son. He's also setting up a trust for you and setting aside some of his own properties since he has no children of his own. You'll be well off, including the trust we've got for you."

"Thanks, mum."

"You're welcome, lovebug."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"He's the third door on the left," Mia pointed to Remus.

"Aren't you coming too?" Remus frowned. Mia shook her head, releasing him from the hug. "Why?"

"You should go quickly. I don't know when the nurse will be back," she informed him, ignoring his question.

"Mia, why don't you want to see him?" She shrugged and he waved for her to sit down in the chairs behind them. "What's wrong?"

She sighed, moving her arm in front of him. Her wrist was still glowing slightly, and his eyes widened. "This is how I knew he'd gotten here. It was burning – it still is – and I knew he was dying. I found him, Remus. He was… it was so bad. And I could've stopped it all. I could've prevented it, but I let him go back to that hell without a warning."

"Mia… you've said you can't change anything. Besides, he's better off free of that house. He's always said that Mr. and Mrs. Potter were his real parents, and now that's legally true. He's better this way." He wrapped an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close.

"I know. And I don't want to imagine what would've happened – what could happen, I guess – if he had gone back to Grimmauld Place. Have you ever been there?" He shook his head. "It's awful. It's like… it's like the entire place is one huge dementor."

"You've been there?"

"Yes. Sirius offered it to Dumbledore as headquarters for the Order and we all stayed there at the end of summer. It was horrible. He always looked like he was being… I don't know, suffocated?" She shook her head. "I've not been back in nearly a year. I don't think I ever want to go there again."

"Come see him with me, Mia. It's not your fault that this happened, and he knows that."

"You don't know that, Remus. What if he doesn't? What if he blames me?"

"You know this is Sirius we're talking about, right? He'd never blame you, even if it were your fault. You've got him wrapped around your finger, Mia."

"I don't know…"

"But I do. So, come on. Just go see him for a few minutes." Remus insisted.

"Fine." She said stiffly, standing up with him. She held his hand tightly and looked at him. "But if he blames me, I get to say I told you so."

"And if he doesn't, then I get to say it." She scowled and they walked toward the room, hand in hand in silent comfort.

Sirius looked up when the door opened and smiled, seeing Remus and Mia walking in together. He'd hoped his logical friend could talk her into seeing him. "Hey."

"How ya feeling, Pads?" Remus asked, sitting at the end of his bed. Mia stood next to him but far enough away that she could leave if he asked.

"Like shit. How was the moon the other day?"

"Shit," Remus responded, shrugging.

"This is a shit Christmas." Sirius muttered.

"At least we're all together. Er… mostly. Where's Pete?" James frowned. "Didn't someone tell him?"

"I sent him a Patronus this morning. He didn't respond, but I wasn't sure he could even cast one." Mia said quietly. "It is Christmas morning. He might be coming later." She suggested. She normally would never cover for him, but she wanted to make Sirius feel better, even just a bit.

"Can I have a minute with Mia?" Sirius asked, looking at his friends. Mia's stomach clenched as James, Fred, and Remus left the room, leaving her alone with Sirius. Remus shot her a supportive look and she stepped closer to the bed.

"You knew." He stated.

"Sirius, I'm so-,"

"I knew, too."

"You- you what?" She asked, confused.

"I knew." He repeated.

"How could you possibly-,"

"Because something of the sort has happened since I was eleven. Maybe not quite this bad, but it's happened. But Mia, I've also never had a way out if it did get too bad. Not to mention my brother has never sent me away. Bella went overboard this time. I'd have died if it weren't for you and… and for Reg." He sighed, shrugging slightly. "I'm not mad, Mia. You saved me. I owe you a life debt, Mia Potter."

"I- life debt? No, Sirius, you can't! It's my fault it even happened, you don't owe me anything, much less a life debt." She said stubbornly.

"Nope. Even if you buried me alive and then _rennervate_ me, I would owe you a life debt… kinda. They're complicated. I owe one to my brother, too." He shrugged slightly.

"But that- that doesn't make sense! It's my fault, Sirius!" She insisted, getting upset. Sirius sighed and reached out for her. She walked closer and he pulled her onto the bed to lie next to him. She hesitantly rested her head on his shoulder.

"It is not your fault, Mia. My mother is insane, and the rest of my family isn't too far off."

"I _know_ your mother is awful, believe me. Grimmauld Place is like it's made out of Dementors, I know. But I should've warned you-"

"And then it wouldn't have happened and you wouldn't have known to warn me, and so it would've happened. No matter what, this had to happen." Sirius said, rubbing her arm gently.

"I- I guess so." Mia said, frowning.

"You can't blame yourself for everything, Mia love. The guilt will eat you alive." He said quietly. "Please promise me you won't." He was looking at her, and they were too close for her to look away.

"I… Fine," Mia said, defeated.

Sirius grinned brightly and hugged her tightly. "Good. Now take a nap with me. James said you two only slept for a couple of hours."

Mia nodded and closed her eyes, willing herself to relax. They stayed like that for hours, even as people came to see him. It was the most restful sleep either of them had had since the night with Regulus in the Room.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **December 28th, 1976**

"Sit down!" Dorea said sternly as Sirius, who was across the room, tried to stand.

"Mum, I'm bored!" He said, whining like a child.

"I don't care. You are healing, and you're lucky I'm letting you sit at all! You should be lying down." She responded sharply. James was next to Sirius snickering as he helped clean the room. The Potter New Year's Ball was in a few days, and Dorea had always made the boys help clean for it. This year, Sirius had begged to help after days of bedrest, being cared for by Mia. She'd agreed only on the condition that he not leave his chair for anything and ask for whatever he needed.

"Mum!" He whined. He would never admit it, but he loved her fussing over him. He hated worrying her, and he knew this made her feel better.

"If you complain one more time, Sirius Orion, I will send you to your room and not let you out until you're completely healed… while Mia and Tilly both heal you." She smirked when Sirius cringed. As much as he loved Mia, her worry had been overwhelming, and she'd channeled it into the healing, something that wasn't much better than fussing over him constantly.

"Yes, mum."

"Hey, what's this?" James asked, loud enough for his mother to hear. He'd been going through an old cupboard he'd found the day before that was hidden in the wall, sort of like a safe. He'd managed to open it and was looking at a small, green box. Dorea stood and walked over to him.

"I'm not sure," she muttered, waving her wand over it and nodding. "No dark magic. Let me see." She sat down next to them and picked it up, opening it. A small gasp escaped her lips.

"Mum?"

"The House of Potter is a patriarch, right?" Her sons nodded, waiting for her to continue. "There aren't many heirlooms for the daughters of the House. Your dad couldn't find any when we got married, but they were rumored to be hidden all over the house." She answered, pulling a beautiful red and green bracelet from the box. It was thin and the metal was twisted like tree roots, two roots intertwining - one red and one green. "It seems you've found one."

"Can we give it to Mia?" James asked immediately, Sirius nodding with him.

Dorea smiled at her sons brightly. "That sounds like a brilliant idea. Why don't we find something for Fred, too? We'll give it to them tonight after dinner."

Dorea summoned another box, this one holding some rings and a few bracelets. She handed it to her boys and they set to work, picking out the perfect thing for their brother.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"We would like to welcome you two into the House of Potter." Charlus said, smiling gently at Fred and Mia.

"I thought you already did, though." Mia replied, frowning.

"We asked you to be our wards, yes, but this is… different. We'd like you to be bonded to our house." He clarified. Fred looked hesitant, and he smiled. "It won't bother any other bondings to any other houses, Ancient and Noble or not."

"Really?" Mia said, grinning.

"Really."

"I'd love to."

"Me as well," Fred said, smiling happily.

"Wonderful! We'll do the ceremony after dinner, if that's alright with you."

"That sounds great," Mia said, smiling brightly.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Do you, Hermione Granger, wish to enter the Ancient and Noble House of Potter?"

"I do."

"Do you promise to protect it and uphold its ancient values, and to live by the standards of a Potter?"

"I do."

"Do you swear that you will always protect those of the House of Potter to the best of your ability?"

Mia faltered. What would this magic consider the best of her ability? She looked up at Dorea, who gave her a supportive smile. "I do."

There was a brilliant flash of light around Mia, and she felt the magic sinking into her core. She was officially bonded to the House of Potter.

They'd done Fred first, and he was standing next to James and Sirius. Dorea put her wand away and stepped forward, wrapping Mia up in a loving hug. "I'm so glad you'll be a part of our family."

"Me too. I've always been… close, my entire life, but this… I have a magical family." She said in awe. She loved her muggle family dearly, but they'd never understood magic, and she often couldn't talk to them about anything. Having a magical family, even for a bit, was more than she could have asked for.

"Always." Dorea said. She placed a kiss on Mia's head before stepping back. "Now, we have something for you two." She waved to her sons, who each pulled a box from their robes. Sirius stepped to Mia and James turned to Fred. They handed the boxes over, and Mia held it carefully, like it might break.

"What is it?"

"Open it and see, Mia love," Sirius laughed softly.

She opened the box and gasped, eyes wide. She picked up the beautiful bracelet and looked at it carefully. "It's gorgeous!" She could hear a sharp intake of breath from Fred, but she turned to Dorea for an explanation.

"Heirlooms for girls are rare in this family. James found this one earlier and he and Sirius immediately asked to give it to you," She explained, proud of her sons. "They then picked a bracelet for Fred."

"It's- it's beautiful." Mia said, ignoring the tears prickling her eyes. Sirius reached over and grabbed the bracelet, securing it around her wrist. "Oh, I love it. Thank you."

"This is amazing," She heard Fred say. He sounded slightly overwhelmed, and she couldn't blame him. She moved around Sirius and walked to Fred, hugging him tightly. She considered offering comforting words, but she knew there wasn't anything she could say. When she released him, James clapped his shoulder.

"Welcome to the family, guys. Officially, I mean." He eyed Mia and winked, causing her to roll her eyes. He'd been questioning her about Harry more lately, and Mia tried to tell him what she could.

" _Was he interested in Quidditch? He had to be, being my son." James asked, grinning, as Mia helped him set the table for dinner._

" _He is. He's, uh, the youngest seeker in a century," she replied, laughing as his eyes lit up. "He was stopping a bully when it happened. The bully – no I won't name him – had taken something from a friend and was flying. Harry chased him and the boy threw it – it was a small ball. Harry chased the ball and caught it. Professor McGonagall saw him and took him directly to the captain of the team. I was certain Harry was going to get himself killed, but… He didn't. He's only lost a few games, and that was due to unfair circumstances and interferences. He's… amazing, Jamie."_

" _That's my boy," James said, proud of his unborn son. "Youngest seeker in a century."_

"Thanks, Jamie. I couldn't ask for anyone better, especially under these… circumstances."

Sirius chuckled, his silver eyes happier than she'd maybe ever seen them. "Thank Merlin for these 'circumstances.'"

Mia looked around the room. She looked at Dorea and Charlus standing together, Charlus holding her close. She looked at Fred smiling down at her. She looked at Sirius grinning with a softness that surprised her. And finally, she looked at James. She saw Harry, but she also saw her brother by bond and by house. She saw her friend. She saw a boy that would die in a few years, but she hoped to save. Still, he looked so alive that she couldn't forget it.

"Yeah. Thank Merlin for that."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **December 31st, 1976**

"Lily, you look… like a queen," Alice breathed, staring at her friend. Lily blushed brightly and shrugged.

"It's a ball, Alice. We're all supposed to look like queens."

"Whatever. James isn't going to be able to take his eyes off of you," Marlene smirked. "He'll be drooling."

The girls giggled. She wasn't wrong. Mia entered the room quickly, slamming the door shut behind her, a frown on her face. The girls spun around and Mary moved forward immediately. They'd gotten closer ever since Mia had saved her from Dolohov.

"What's wrong, Mi?"

"Regulus is coming," she replied, her jaw clenched.

"Well that's a good thing, isn't it?"

"It _was_. We'd known he'd be here. But after Sirius, I wasn't sure what would happen. Apparently, Walburga and Orion still plan to make an appearance as well."

There was immediate understanding among the group as she went to the bathroom to put on her gown. It was a silver that matched Sirius's eyes. It was strapless but synched under the bust, reaching the floor and twirling around her, a magical silvery mist coming off of it when she spun in a circle.

Once the dress was on, she used her wand to twist curls into her hair and pull them into a careful bun on the back of her head. When she did her makeup, it was a silver and grey ombre on her eyes and a deep red on her lips.

For jewelry, Mia slipped on her Potter bracelet once more - only having taken it off to shower and dress - and a locket she'd received from Fabian for Christmas. He'd sent it in the mail, and she opened it in her room that morning. It was a silver chain and on the end of it held a heart shaped locket with a rose running through it. It opened up to a picture he'd taken of her and Fred in Hogsmeade one day when they'd sat with Fabian and Gideon on one side, and a miniature Pensieve on the other for her to put a memory in. She'd put a memory of her with Harry and Ron the summer before their fifth year in Ron and Harry's room in Grimmauld Place, joking around to cheer Harry up.

She slipped on her black stilettos and made her way out of the bathroom, only to be met with stares. "What?" She looked down at herself. "Is something wrong?"

"No, Mia, you look gorgeous," Lily breathed. Mia giggled happily, surprising herself.

"You're one to talk. James is gonna go crazy looking at you."

"And Regulus will too," she paused. "Looking at you, I mean."

"Meanwhile, we haven't even finished our makeup!" Marlene complained. "Care to help us?" The girls set to work finishing off each others looks and talking, and Mia couldn't help but think how weird it was to have a bunch of girl friends and doing normal girl stuff with them. She also couldn't help but think that she rather liked it.

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	9. The Ball

**December 31st, 1976**

The girls all walked out of the room together and down the stairs to the ballroom. They walked down the stairs to their dates, and Frank immediately took Alice to dance. Mary had asked Remus to the ball, who had stuttered a less than confident "yes". Marlene, meanwhile, had refused to ask someone to go with her and had turned down any offers. Lily had James, of course, and Mia and Sirius had agreed to go together to avoid any unwanted dates – Sirius, while still a ladies' man, refused to take someone he didn't care for to the ball out of respect to Dorea and Charlus.

When the boys walked up, all of their jaws had dropped. James was wide-eyed as he stared at his girlfriend. He grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles, smiling brightly. "You look… perfect." He said softly. "There's no other word than perfect." Lily blushed and kissed him, whisking him away to get a drink.

Remus was staring at Mary, who had a smirking Marlene next to her. Marlene shoved Mary toward Remus, and the girl stumbled, causing Remus to catch her so she didn't fall. They both blushed as she righted herself, and soon they were off as well to find a seat. Marlene winked at Mia and left to get a drink, and probably an alcoholic one at that.

Sirius looked at Mia, his silver eyes shining in the light. "Mia love, you look astonishing." He said, grabbing her hand and kissing her cheek. She smiled brightly at him.

"You look quite dapper yourself, Star Shine. You're feeling fine? You're not dizzy, are you?"

"I'm fine, love." Sirius laughed, whisking her out to dance. She only had him for a few minutes before he passed her off to Fred and left in search of a drink.

"How're you doing?" she asked quietly. He spun her before pulling her back to him.

"I miss them."

"Christmas is hard," Mia guessed. He nodded tiredly. "I miss them, my parents, your family, but I can't imagine for you."

"Why?" he blinked at her. She had a family back home, too.

"Well… my parents and I, we just… never understood each other," she shrugged. "Even before I turned eleven. They love me, but they just don't know how to connect, you know? They were older than most when they had me, about forty, and it's just hard for them to… I don't know. So they never minded exactly when I didn't come home."

"That's why you spent so much time with us," Fred realized. Mia shrugged.

"It's more than the magic, you know? It's… me. I pushed myself so hard to be so good at school, to know everything I could to impress them and they just didn't understand it. They didn't know why I was so focused on school, I guess. They didn't know how to connect with me."

"Do you think you'll be able to… I don't know. Fix that, after the war?"

Mia stiffened, and her movements stilled. "No."

"Why?"

"They don't remember me."

" _What_?"

"Fred, calm down," Mia shushed him irritably. "I Obliviated them."

"Mia, you can't undo that!"

"I know!" She snapped. "But it's war! They'd be killed otherwise! I'd prefer they live and forget me than die because of me."

"Sano," Severus muttered, stepping up behind her. "Mind if I cut in?"

Mia stared at Fred, daring him to argue. He didn't, though, and just stepped back quietly, giving Mia a horrible look of pity, making her want to yell until he wiped it off his stupid face.

She blinked as she realized Severus was waiting and nodded, stepping forward to dance with him. "Thank you."

"You looked more than a little upset," he admitted.

"Did you just arrive?" she asked, ignoring his comment. He nodded.

"Thank you for the invitation," he smiled softly.

"Of course," she returned the smile, relaxing a little. "I've got a present for everyone, so you _had_ to be here."

"Sano, you don't have to-,"

"Yes, I do," she rolled her eyes. "Please accept it, Sev."

He nodded curtly and they danced for one more song before Mia was swiftly pulled away by a very startlingly young Kingsley.

One of the downsides to being a member of an Ancient and Noble House, Mia quickly realized, was the socializing she had to do and the dancing. She had to dance with anyone that asked, out of political requirements, and her feet were killing her by the half-hour mark. She managed to slip into a dance with Remus after about an hour and let her head crash onto his shoulder as she tried to rest a little.

"Tired?" He asked, amused.

"My feet want to jump ship. I swear it, Remus, there's going to be a mutiny if I don't relax soon," She groaned. He laughed quietly, rubbing her shoulders gently.

"You don't wear heels often, do you?"

"No. Last time was the Yule Ball in fourth year. Not even for Bill's wedding! I avoided any and all dancing… I think I even shoved you toward a Veela so you'd stop bugging me. I only danced at the Yule Ball. I danced with a Bulgarian Seeker who couldn't pronounce my name. How is Hermione that hard to say?" She asked, sighing. "He was a perfect gentleman, but Ron ruined my night. Stupid jealous prat- "

"May I cut in?" She pulled her head up and grinned.

"Of course," Remus said after seeing her smile. He bowed gracefully and left, presumably to find Mary.

Mia felt Fabian slip his hands on her waist and straightened up a little, sighing. "How you purebloods can dance _so much_ is beyond me." She stated. Fabian grinned and laughed a little, winking at her.

"It's years of practice, pet. Most of us have dancing lessons as kids, as well as singing and probably piano or some instrument."

Mia shook her head and sighed. "No wonder so many of you are cranky. You're tired."

Fabian laughed and spun her a little to keep up with the song. "You're one of us now, too, love." Mia shrugged lightly. "You're wearing the necklace," He said, smiling softly at her.

"I love it, Fab. It's beautiful." She touched it with one hand. "I put a memory of me with Harry and Ron before things started getting bad. We were sitting together in Grimmauld Place. Harry was upset so we were joking around to calm him down. It worked and we had a great night. I remember wondering if the happiness I felt there was indestructible with my boys." She smiled up at him, a slight sadness in her eyes. "I think it is."

Before he could reply, there was a tab on Fabian's shoulder and he sighed. He kissed her cheek and whispered, "I'll check on you later, pet," and disappeared into the crowd.

Mia looked up and suppressed a gasp, her eyes wide. In front of her, with his hand out, was Dolohov. She realized Fabian must not have even looked at who it was before he left, because she knew he'd never leave her alone with him.

"Don't be rude, Potter." Dolohov drawled, grabbing her hand before she could turn away. "I thought we ought to have a dance." Mia didn't respond, tensing when his hands rested tightly on her waist. She scanned the room for someone that would recognize the danger, but no one was there.

"I heard of your accident in the library," he said quietly, breathing the words into her ear. "How _horrible_. It's lucky someone got to you in time. I heard you nearly _died_."

"Yes," she grit out. "I was lucky. And my friends are _very_ protective now. They don't leave me alone. I don't think I need to worry about my safety anymore."

"Oh, I wouldn't be so sure," Dolohov laughed. "We both know you're stronger than all of your friends, and you still got hurt."

"I was taken by surprise," she commented stiffly, looking around again but spotting no one. She felt him squeeze and winced. "I won't be again."

"Well," he looked down at her, pulling back a little to do it. She felt his breath on her face and bit her lip, refusing to give him the satisfaction of screaming like she desperately wanted to. She shifted uncomfortably, wondering when someone would notice. "I suppose we'll see, won't we? It'd be so awful to think you're not safe at school anymore, yes?"

She glanced to the side and saw Severus moving quickly toward her again and felt relief rush through her. She went to speak, to distract him until her friend reached her, but was cut off by someone tapping Dolohov's shoulder and thanked God for whoever it was. "May I cut in?" She had a feeling no one would like what happened if Dolohov said no if the way he froze said anything. She felt him release her reluctantly and knew there was a bruise forming already. She opened her eyes and only realized she'd been holding her breath when she felt it sucked out of her.

The man in front of her stepped forward, holding her lightly with a polite yet kind smile on his face. He had obsidian black hair with silver-grey eyes to match. He looked like an older Sirius, and she knew immediately that she was dancing with Orion Black.

"Are you alright, Miss Potter? You seemed… uncomfortable." He noted, and she nodded jerkily, forcing herself to relax. Severus backed off, but she saw out of the corner of her eye as he pushed his way through the crowd, obviously looking for someone.

"He and I don't… get along very well. He's not someone I feel I can relax and dance with, exactly." It was one way of saying he tried to kill her, she supposed.

"I see," he said quietly. "And do you feel you cannot relax for a moment with me, Miss Potter?"

"I don't know you, sir."

"I think you do. You recognized me right away."

"I may have a guess as to who you are," She sighed.

"You're close with him," he stated, ending the little game. "He trusts you."

Mia stiffened again, her gut doing a dance. "I don't know what you're talking about." For a moment, she was irrationally afraid that he meant Regulus, but she quickly remembered standing in front of everyone holding hands with Sirius as they entered the ballroom.

"Yes, you do," he said, sounding almost tired. "Sirius trusts you, girl."

"I'm not sure why that's any of your- "

"Because he's my son, regardless of what Walburga would say."

"I won't let her or anyone hurt him again. With all due respect, sir, Sirius is home. He's in a safe home where he is free to love who he wants and live how he wants. He is happy here and I will _never_ let that be taken away from him. What Walburga and Bellatrix and his bloody uncle did to him was vile and cruel and I am damn lucky that he's alive." She looked up at him fiercely. "I will never let you harm another hair on his head. Do you understand me?"

For a moment they just looked at each other. She wasn't worried about angering him. She knew he wouldn't try anything in front of so many people. She was, however, worried about making things worse for Sirius.

"Thank you for protecting him, then," Orion said quietly. "You'll be good for him. He'll need you."

"I- what?"

The man sighed and looked at her sadly. "My wife is… not in her right mind. What's worse is that she's got the backing of most of the family. My father has little power when only a handful of people in the family agrees with him. So, she's been free to do what she wants to do. I try to help where I can, but it's not that easy."

"I do. Protect him, I mean. I protect him from whatever I can, and he protects me, too. We're- we're family, Mister Black. I'd die for him."

"Father," Regulus spoke lowly, his eyes sharp and dangerous. "What are you doing?"

"I'm dancing with Miss Potter," Orion raised an eyebrow. "Is that a problem, Regulus?"

"I don't care what you do to me, or Sirius," Regulus said quietly, anger bright in his eyes. "But you _will_ leave her alone."

Orion looked between the two for a long moment. "I see."

"I mean it, father," Regulus muttered. "She is off limits."

"Regulus, he was just-,"

"Mia," Regulus's eyes flashed. "Stop it. You don't know what he's like."

"Maybe you don't," she frowned. "Relax. He saved me from a dance with Dolohov." Regulus stiffened. "He came because he said I looked uncomfortable."

"Are you-,"

"I'm _fine_ ," she lied. "But I'm leaving to catch some air now, and if you follow me within the next five minutes, I will hex you."

With a frustrated huff, she discreetly disillusioned herself and ran from the room, dropping the spell as soon as she exited the large ballroom doors.

She knew Regulus meant well, and she appreciated his concern, but he was being reckless.

She slowed, walking and taking in deep breaths as she reached a small office nearby that was empty and much cooler than the large room full of bodies. She fanned herself, thinking of the conversation she'd just had as she leaned against the desk.

Her head shot up as she heard the door click shut and the light - which she'd left off - turn on. The man that walked into the room was not one that she recognized immediately, but one that she could tell was dangerous. He had the same sharp pureblood features she'd come to recognize, and had short, cropped black hair. He looked to be in his mid-twenties, and his smirk seemed permanent on his face. She shivered as he moved closer.

"Potter," he greeted, bowing his head a little. Mia raised an eyebrow. Her wand was strapped to her leg, and she didn't think she'd reach it in time. He already had his out, having used it to lock the door behind him, so she could only hope that any wandless magic would be enough. "I don't believe we've met."

"We haven't," she agreed stiffly.

"Rodolphus," he smiled. "Rodolphus Lestrange."

Mia sucked in a deep breath. "I see." She stared at his smile, her heart rate picking up as she suddenly felt very unsafe. She _did_ know him. He'd been there with his wife and brother when she'd been tortured. "You'll excuse me if I feel uncomfortable after what Bellatrix did to Sirius."

To her surprise, Rodolphus nodded, looking regretful. "Bellatrix is precisely what I wished to speak with you about."

Mia felt her heart thumping in her chest. He didn't look like he wanted to attack her, but purebloods were incredible at this game. She didn't trust him and she was certainly not going to let her guard down. That was how they'd been captured and tortured in the first place.

"Oh?"

The man hesitated. "I know you're aware of her common use of the Cruciatus," he began slowly. "But she's also very familiar with the Imperious."

"Who does she Imperious?" Mia asked, startled. She'd only ever known the woman to be the best at torture and killing, but perhaps she'd mastered all three of the unforgivables.

"Me," he looked uncomfortable and was interrupted by the door flying open and banging against the wall. Mia's head shot up and was surprised to find her boyfriend running in with Severus and Avery behind him. She winced, glancing at his lightened bracelet.

"Mia," he gasped, placing himself between them. Avery and Severus moved on a side of her each, and she shifted uncomfortably.

"Reg," she reached forward, grabbing his hand. "I think… we're okay. We're speaking."

"You're aware of _who_ you're speaking to?" He asked, turning to her with wide eyes. She nodded firmly, and he turned back to the older man. "What do you want, Lestrange?"

The man looked between the group of them, looking uncomfortably unsurprised. "Miss Potter, may I continue?" She nodded slowly, and he began again. "She was given to me to straighten me out," he told her, looking distinctly uncomfortable again. "I did not agree with the pureblood agenda, and I do not agree with murdering muggles or anyone, for that matter. Still, my father did, and he set up the marriage so that she would change my mind, or otherwise change alliances."

"So you're saying you don't want to be a Death Eater?" Mia raised an eyebrow, untrusting. Regulus stood nearly completely in front of her, forcing her to step to the side a little to look at him, pushing Avery gently at the same time. Regulus was stiff and filled with barely controlled anger. His arms were behind him, holding Mia carefully in place. "Is that it?"

"Yes," Rodolphus nodded, sagging in relief. "See, she uses the Imperius for certain times, certain events, and puts spells on me so that I can't say certain things aloud, like denouncing the Dark Lord as my Master."

"Isn't that what you just did?"

"No, I led you to the conclusion."

"Why come to me?" she asked suspiciously. "Why not go to Dumbledore? I'm still in school. Why do you think I can help?"

"Because," his gaze shifted to Regulus. "I was put in charge of watching the students and keeping an eye on their alliances. Black, Avery, and Snape all shifted alliances when they met you."

Mia stiffened. "Who did you tell?"

"No one," he promised. "Only you, just now."

"Still, why do you think I can help?"

"Because," he stared at her. "I'm an Unspeakable. I saw Charlus Potter get the call about his ward and her glowing eyes."

Mia shivered. They'd managed to cast a permanent glamour over her eyes to hide it, but she could feel it when they changed color. They'd begun doing so almost constantly, and it concerned her to see her deep brown eyes fade into golden. "I see." She gently pulled Regulus's hands off of her, wincing as he brushed the angry bruises Dolohov had left and pointedly ignoring his concerned look. She stepped in front of her boyfriend and moved over to Rodolphus as Avery and Severus also moved, this time next to Regulus. "Swear this on your magic. Swear that you're telling the truth."

Without hesitation, the man raised his wand in the air. "I, Rodolphus Lestrange, do swear on my wand and magic that I have not lied about the things I told Mia Potter tonight."

They paused, waiting, but nothing happened. Mia blinked.

"Okay."

"So?"

"I'll teach you how to throw off the Imperius, for one," she told him slowly. "But then you need to act like you agree with everything. Pretend like they broke you."

He paused. "You know how to throw off the Imperius?"

"I had a teacher who thought it'd be great to show fourteen-year-olds the Unforgivables, and then taught us all how to throw off the Imperius," she waved off the question. "I think he got arrested."

"Okay," he agreed to her suggestions after the explanation.

"I can get out of Hogwarts easily," she informed him before looking at Regulus, who was now standing at her side silently, looking angry still. "But I doubt my guards here will let me go alone. Someone will come. We'll meet at a house Charlus and Dorea offered me for my… extracurricular activities if we need to meet."

"Okay," he agreed nervously.

"It won't take long to teach you to throw off the Imperius," she promised. "Once you understand the theory, the practical application becomes much easier."

And with that, they set to work. Within a half hour, Rodolphus had learned how to throw it off and she smiled brightly at him.

"I've been gone for too long," she apologized. "And I still need to speak with my boys. I'll write you in a few days."

They bid farewell, and Mia whisked the boys up to her room and sat on her bed carefully, her waist throbbing in pain.

"So," she sighed as Avery looked around her purple and black room, Severus also doing the same but more discreetly. "Dolohov slipped in and danced with me."

That's why you winced," Regulus realized. He'd known about the dance but hadn't yet put the pieces together.

"She winced?"

"I was holding her and she winced," Regulus told him as Mia nodded.

"He held me very tightly. I think he was trying to leave bruises, or snap me in half, I'm really not sure. Your dad actually saved me."

"My father," Regulus repeated. "Doesn't do anything selflessly. You're sure it wasn't his father that cut in first?" Regulus asked, nodding at Avery. Mia blinked.

"My father, who is dead," Avery summarised. "I don't think so, no."

"Your father," Mia rolled her eyes, poking Regulus's shoulder. "He cut in. Pissed Dolohov off pretty good, but he said I looked uncomfortable. Asked me to take care of Sirius, and then _you_ came over and yelled at him."

"Let me see it," Regulus requested. Mia blinked.

"See what?"

"The bruises!"

Mia stared, looking between her boyfriend and her friends, who both looked like they'd rather be anywhere else. "Regulus. Avery and Sev are literally _right there_. While I don't care about taking my dress off in front of them, I think at least Avery is already uncomfortable and I'd rather not make that worse by stripping so you can see a few bruises."

"Mia," Regulus growled. "Just let me see them."

"Okay," Avery said loudly. "I'm leaving. I'll see you both later. Stay safe, Sano."

Mia nodded, giving him an apologetic glance as Severus followed him out silently, looking vaguely disgusted before pushing her boyfriend backward. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"Me?" Regulus asked, eyes wide. "Dolohov has hurt you _again_ and you don't even care!"

"Reg," Mia sighed, patting her bed. He picked himself up off the floor and sat down next to her. "What is this about?"

He was silent for a long moment, just staring at the floor before he spoke. "Being away from you is… horrible. It's like there's something meant to be next to me that I don't know how to function without, and it's not there. I'm off balance and confused. And then Sirius… Merlin, Mia, it was bad. I had to watch it, too. And I know he's my brother, and I should've cared more, but I kept imagining someday when she would do the same thing to you. And now I'm here, in person, and we can't be close because of the fucking pureblood traditions, and you got _hurt_. It just feels so _wrong_ being away from you, not being able to protect you."

Mia was silent for a few long seconds before she waved her hand at her dress, vanishing it. She didn't care enough to feel embarrassed by her baby pink bra and underwear - she'd lost her humility in that respect on the run.

She glanced down at herself and winced at the sight of large black bruises forming over the low part of her hips. She hadn't realized it at the time, but he'd been holding her hips as low as he could politely in front of the very large crowd around them. She sucked in a breath as Regulus inspected her.

She shivered as his fingers ran over her stomach, trailing gently down to the bruises. Flinching when he touched them, she bit her lip. They were worse than she'd thought, truly.

Regulus picked himself up off of the bed and softly pushed her back until she was lying back with her legs hanging off the bed loosely. He moved closer and leaned down as she closed her eyes. Lips touched her hips, kissing away the pain sweetly. She gasped at the magical feeling and shivered again at his light touches. He peppered kisses all over her hips, moving inward and upward when he'd finished with the bruises until he was kissing her stomach, chest, throat, chin, and finally, her lips.

She breathed in deeply and pulled him on top of her, relaxing at the smell of him, though she still winced as he touched the bruises again. She waved her hand absently at her door, the sound of it slamming shut and locking the only sound aside from their breathing.

He let himself get lost in her for a little while, the feeling of closeness the most overwhelming and pleasurable feeling he'd ever experienced, acting like a balm for the pain he'd been feeling since he'd left her.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Later, Mia was resting in Regulus's arms, listening to the sound of his heart as he hummed quietly to her. They'd been lying like that for barely five minutes, catching their breath, when she turned to look him in the eyes and spoke.

"I love you."

He stared at her, his heart racing now. Had they really, truly not said it yet?

"I love you, too, Little Lion." He reached for his wand hesitantly and summoned a small box, sitting up in the bed to look at her. "I have a gift for you."

"Is that-,"

"Not an engagement ring," he assured her, opening the box. Inside was a beautiful, thin ring. It was all black with green emeralds peppered around it. He held it out for her, and she plucked it out of the box gently.

"It's beautiful. Is this a… a betrothal piece?" She asked slowly. He nodded a little, and she grinned. "What are you saying, Reg?"

"I'm saying," he rolled his eyes. "That someday, I would like to marry you."

"Well," she held out her hand for him. "That's a relief. It'd be a little awkward, planning our lives without you."

He laughed softly and pushed the ring onto the ring finger on her left hand. It was a little bit of a risk leaving it to be seen by everyone, but he didn't care. She was his witch, and he loved her.

She kissed his cheek softly and rolled over, pulling herself out of the bed. "And I don't want to ruin this beautiful moment, but I've been gone from the party for about forty-five minutes, and someone's going to notice. I'd much rather they not find me in bed with my beautiful, but still very naked boyfriend."

Regulus grinned at her and stood up as well, plucking his clothes from the floor. They dressed quickly, both pausing to fix their hair until it was less noticeable, and kissed once more before they left the room, running through the halls and down the stairs until they came upon the ballroom, where Avery caught Mia's eye, looked her over, and rolled his eyes before looking away. Mia giggled quietly. "I think someone knows what we've been up to."

"Well," Regulus laughed. "It was either that or fighting… I must say, I prefer this option. I think we should try it again next time."

Mia smirked at him and separated with a peck on the cheek, finding Gideon and pulling him out for a dance and ducking to avoid Sirius who, she was sure, knew immediately about her previously undressed state.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Do they think they're… secretive?" Sirius wondered, staring between Regulus and Mia as the two spared glaces occasionally. "I've never seen anyone look more like they'd just had sex than they do."

"Ew," James screwed up his face. "Stop. They did not."

"James," Sirius stared. "You've got to be kidding me. He forgot to put his gloves back on! And her makeup is smudged."

"That's disgusting."

"He's right," Remus said, looking horrified. "I walked past Mia, and she smelled…" he paused, wincing. "Like someone had marked her."

The group fell silent in disgust as they watched people dance for a while. Sirius went back to scanning the crowd, looking for Mia again. He stiffened when he found her and saw who she was sitting with, hitting Remus's chest to get his attention.

"What the fuck?" the werewolf said angrily, rubbing his chest lightly.

"She's with _Walburga_ ," Sirius whispered furiously, nodding to where he was looking.

"-blood traitor whore!" He heard his mother say. Mia had a dangerous smile on her face and was nodding her head along like she was listening to his mother explain how many children she had.

"I see. Walburga, you don't know me. And that's not your fault, I assure you. But that means you couldn't possibly know exactly what I can do. And I'll spare you the details - they make bad party talk, much too gruesome. But I encourage you - do your worst. I'll do mine, _dear_ , and we'll just see what happens, yes?" She smiled sweetly. "Because I am from an Ancient and Noble House, after all, and I do take offense from your comments. By our laws, I am allowed to formally challenge you to a duel to the death."

Sirius's eyes widened comically as he rushed over.

"But I'll kindly remind you that you're old, and frail, probably from decades from dark magic. So it's up to you - duel me and die, or live on and continue to poison your House?"

Sirius gaped at the small girl next to him who, apparently, had rendered his furious mother speechless. The large woman yelled "dirty blood traitor!" one more time before stalking out of the ballroom… alone. Orion and Regulus staying where they were, though both had certainly caught the scene. Mia let out a shaky breath and turned to look at Sirius. "Well, that's been coming for _years_. She's always been awful."

"Holy shit," James muttered, wide-eyed. "Did she just challenge your mother to a wizard's duel?"

Sirius grinned proudly and nodded. "She's amazing."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia leaned into the heavy cloak around her shoulders, shivering. Gideon had given it to her when she'd left to the garden with everyone else, the twins stealing her away from her friends and boyfriend to sit with them.

"Are you okay, kit? I saw you with Orion Black and wanted to help, but Lady Longbottom had cornered me into a discussion about her son's future," he glanced at his brother. "Think she got us mixed up. Still, he didn't do anything, did he?"

"Orion was a perfect gentleman," Mia said a bit stiffly. She'd grown tense since her conversation with Walburga, and she'd hung around Regulus all evening since, Avery and Severus always close enough nearby. Her tone didn't go unnoticed by the twins who shared a look and stepped closer, each wrapping an arm around her shoulders.

"Mia, dear," Fabian started.

"We understand that you've got a hero complex," Gideon continued, rolling his eyes at her protests.

"But you'll get yourself hurt if you don't ask for help," Fabian finished, his gentle voice full of genuine concern. Mia sighed.

"I'm… fine. I can handle myself, guys."

"Mia, please," Fabian tried. "We want to help you."

"I just… don't think there's anything you guys can do."

"Well, if you don't tell us, there's definitely nothing we can do, pet," Fabian argued. She frowned as his logic won out.

"It's not a big deal. Orion cut in because he saw me looking… less than pleased while dancing with Dolohov." She took a breath and set her jaw. "He managed to get a few threats in before Orion rescued me. Insinuated that I'm not safe at school anymore."

"Merlin, Mia… can't you file a report? Even just with us. We are actual aurors, believe it or not."

"No," she told them firmly, looking down. "He has to be there in my personal future, or past, I suppose. I don't know what would happen if he were kicked from school or sent to Azkaban. It's not worth it."

"I'll watch out for you when I can, pet. People know we're friends - it won't be a stretch to see us walking together in the halls. You've also got your little gang of friends. We'll take care of you," he promised, trying to comfort her. She saw the fear in his eyes anyway.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **January 1st, 1977**

"He did _what_?" James yelled angrily. Mia ignored his rage, looking around the room. Fred too was barely holding in his anger, and Remus looked ready to kill someone. Sirius, however, had a calm sort of anger that was more intimidating than his friends.

Which left the last three people in the room. Regulus, Severus, and Avery. Regulus had told his parents he'd be spending the end of break with Avery and Avery, having no family left, had simply opened the floo up and taken them to Potter Manor. Severus had asked to stay with a friend, and his mother had willingly sent him away. Mia had spoken to Dorea about the three staying, and the woman had been happy to invite them into her home. She'd even let Mia know that, if they wanted, Mia and Regulus were free to share a room as they were both plenty responsible and she'd been told previously of their soul bond. The conversation had made her blush, and she'd escaped at the first opportunity.

Regulus was calm, already assured of Mia's upcoming guard detail she'd keep around her, while Avery looked uncomfortable at the memory of the earlier confrontation he'd witnessed. Severus just looked moderately uncomfortable at being in James Potter's home longer than just the ball.

"He threatened me." She glanced at Regulus and sighed, sure she would be unable to keep anything to herself. "And he hurt me, just a little bit. So we thought it'd be best if someone stays with me while we're at school."

"No shit, Hermione!" Fred snapped. Mia winced, very carefully not looking at Avery's reaction. Fred had gotten much better about using her old name, only using it when he was worked up, like now. Severus didn't know the truth, but he'd accepted her secrets much more easily than Avery had. "I didn't like you going out alone as is, and now…."

"Now I will be more careful when I walk and yes, I will accept help." She assured him, giving him a warning look that he ignored.

Avery cleared his throat. "Why did he call you Hermione?"

Mia scowled at Fred who had the decency to look ashamed now. She turned back to him with a very genuine and apologetic smile. "This is… one of those secrets that I told you about. Or it's _supposed_ to be, as long as he _stops using that fucking name_."

Severus hadn't been too pushy in terms of her badly kept secret, a fact that she appreciated. There were slips, of course, but he kept to himself and didn't ask most of the time. It was one of the reasons she appreciated his friendship so much. He understood her need for privacy but still trusted her.

Fred winced, and she breathed out in a huff. The room was quiet for a few minutes as everyone continued processing the news. After a bit, Sirius swore quietly and shifted into Padfoot, walking next to his friend and pushing himself into her side. She gave him a small smile and began to rub behind his ears. They sat like that for a few long moments, everyone silent and tense before Mia felt Sirius pause, having been licking her hands, and pulled back to shift into his human form. "Mia," he started, his voice painfully slow. "What is on your hand?"

"A… bracelet?" She tried.

"The _ring_ ," Sirius corrected, pointing at it as the other boys - Regulus excluded - leaned in to look.

"Right," she bit her lip. "Well, Regulus-,"

"I am formally courting with intent to marry," Regulus interrupted from his place next to the bed. James, Fred, and Remus were leaning against the wall below the window, and Mia was sitting next to Regulus with Avery on his other side and Severus next to Avery. Sirius, having been sitting between the two groups, turned to stare at his brother.

"You're fucking kidding me," Sirius commented, his eyes growing wider when neither of them said anything. "When did this happen?"

"Yesterday," Mia blinked, changing the subject. "Oh, we've got another Death Eater."

"Who?" James questioned, looking at the four Slytherins.

"Rodolphus Lestrange," Mia said, avoiding their stares. "He told me about his situation and swore on his wand and magic that he wasn't lying. I trust him."

"Why'd he even come to talk to you?" Fred wondered, looking concerned. She didn't blame him. "You trust him after-,"

"I do," she interrupted sharply. He'd already fucked up once that night. "He was assigned to keep track of the students that were Death Eaters. When he noticed Reg, Severus, and Avery shifting, he followed it back to me. I think he trusts me because I'm not widely known as some sort of Light leader - that's Dumbledore. And I've been associated with Death Eaters since I arrived, so that gives me a good cover."

"But you've also become our friends," Remus pointed out. "Why doesn't that make you," he nodded at Regulus. "A blood traitor?"

"Because he claimed that I was his spy within the light," she grinned. "And a fence sitter. No one suspects me. Walburga still hates me though, bloody cow."

"Not _yet_ , Sano," Avery warned. "Everyone has someone watching them. We have to be careful with Lestrange. The Dark Lord trusts no one."

She waved him off. "It'll be fine, love. I'm being safe." She heard at least three people laugh at that and sighed. "I'm safe _enough_."

"You'll never be safe enough," Sirius growled. With a muttered agreement from everyone in the room, Mia rolled her eyes and changed the subject again, this time asking about Walburga's dueling abilities.

"I've never seen you duel, _really_ duel," Regulus began slowly. "But my mother is dangerous as well. That was a very ill-advised threat, Little Lion."

"Regulus," she began, annoyed. "She insulted me endlessly and threatened me at my own family's party in front of _everyone_ , aside from… you know," she nudged his shoulder, and he nodded his understanding. The years Walburga had spent calling her a mudblood. "I was not letting that go."

"I think she'd have been fine," Fred commented. "She looks small but she's fucking terrifying with a wand."

"Me too," Remus nodded. "She disarmed all four of us when we startled her and she'd _just_ woken up. I've never seen anyone disarm more than one person at a time."

"And the ritual," Sirius added. "She's bloody powerful."

Mia stared at them, uncomfortable. "All I'm saying is that I think I'd have been fine. I just didn't want to kill her and stain my dress."

Sirius snorted.

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	10. Fealty

**January 2nd, 1977**

"What is this?" Remus asked quietly, staring at the box Mia had placed in his hands just as everyone else was doing.

"Open it," Mia rolled her eyes.

"Christmas was last week, kitten," Sirius winked, opening the box. He paused, staring at the ring in it. "Proposing? I don't think Reg would like that much."

"Shut up," Mia sighed through her nose. "If I'm proposing to you, I'm proposing to everyone else in this room, _including_ Regulus."

With that, the others swiftly opened their own boxes, their rings shining in the sunlight of the day room.

"They're goblin made," she explained nervously. "I've put some spells in them and they'll last for about seventy years. I put a paper in the bottom of the boxes with the spells I used. They should shield you and protect against some dark magic. I also added one that will erase your scent to make you untraceable by werewolves and vampires and the like. There's a small spell in there that… it doesn't make you invisible, but when you tap the ring with your wand, it makes it so no one _wants_ to look at you, or even acknowledge that you're there."

"That's brilliant," Avery gasped, looking at his silver, green, and blue ring. He slipped it on, and it resized immediately, fitting perfectly to his finger.

"It's also a portkey," she smiled. "If you say _Portus_ , it'll take you to Hogsmeade. But if you say _Portus Potter_ , it'll take you to a Potter villa that Dorea and Charlus put in my… trust," she shifted uncomfortably. She was grateful, but it was something to get used to.

"These must've cost a fortune," Remus commented, though she smiled as he slipped his on as well. She ignored his words and watched everyone inspect their own rings before putting them on. She'd been wearing her own since she'd finished spelling them, and she felt calmer now that they had a little more protection.

"Thank you, Mia," Fred smiled softly, pulling her into a hug. She squeezed him briefly before pulling back and looking at her friends - her family.

"I just feel better knowing you're safer."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The large group used their rings to take them back to Hogwarts much later that day, preferring to skip the train. It was safer, ultimately. Mia went with Regulus, Severus, and Avery earlier, the Marauders following them an hour later.

After the feast, Mia managed to pull Fred aside, dragging him into a small classroom nearby. She only had a moment before Regulus would notice her missing, so she had to make it quick.

"I figured out how to do it. How to modify their memories without erasing them."

" _What_?" Fred's eyes widened. "How?"

"Occlumency, Legilimancy, and a Notice-Me-Not charm," she shook her head. "It's complicated. I'll need Severus's help, but I can do it."

"Okay," he nodded. "And the spell?"

She shifted uncomfortably. "It's taking a while. It's doing something to me, but we spoke to Charlus - he's an Unspeakable, remember? - and he said I'm safe. We just have to go a little slower than we first thought. It- it reminds me of the way a horcrux affects a person over a period of time." She sighed. "I have to go. I'll let you know when we've got any more progress, okay?"

"Sounds good to me," he agreed, opening the door for her. She slipped out of the room and slammed straight into Regulus, who had his back to the door.

"Reg?"

"Are you finished?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. She blushed slightly and nodded, making her way through the halls with an exasperated boyfriend behind her.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **January 3rd, 1977**

"Severus," Mia said slowly. "I've got to tell you something."

"Mm?" he responded, distracted. He was twisting his wand about a book, testing it for any dark magic.

"Please pay attention," she said sternly, channeling Mrs. Weasley. He looked up at her in shock, but he put the book down and his wand away, waving her ahead.

"Well, you see, I'm not exactly _from here_ ," she said slowly. She'd agreed with Regulus that they would ask him sooner rather than later so that they could get to work and practice.

Regulus snorted from under Mia, still reading a random book he'd picked up on the way into the Room. "Try to be blunt, love, or this will take you as long as it took to tell me."

"That's not fair, Reg, you had a fucking wand to me," she huffed. "You wanted _everything_. That takes a while."

"Yes, I seem to recall it does."

"Shut up," Mia replied lamely.

Severus looked between the bickering couple with growing nerves. They were keeping something, and he knew Regulus was on guard and not simply relaxing with a book. He had a feeling that if he so much as reached for his wand, his friend would have him on the floor before he could blink. "What are you two trying to say?"

"She's from the future," Regulus informed him shortly. Severus frowned, waiting for the rest of the joke. When it didn't come, he blinked.

"Come again?"

"I'm… from the future."

"The future, as in… the future."

"Yes, the future, moron," Regulus snapped, tense. "As in not this time." Severus could see him force his shoulders to relax as he placed a possessive arm around Mia's waist, holding her tight against him.

"Care to elaborate?" he wondered, speaking carefully.

"Well, I was born September 19th, 1979," Mia began slowly, poking Regulus when he moved to interrupt. The other boy's lips thinned, but he stayed silent for the moment. "I went to Hogwarts for my first six years. After the sixth, something happened and I had to go on the run with my friends. We were taking a break, staying with some friends as we all… healed," she bit out, uncomfortable. "When there was an accident, and I was sent back twenty years with Fred."

He could see her uncomfortable shifting and knew there was more to it, but Regulus's stiff posture dissuaded him from asking. "And why should I believe you? This seems… unlikely."

Mia sighed, readjusting herself until she was leaning forward and made eye contact, something she hadn't ever done. He raised an eyebrow and she nodded silently, and he slipped into her mind.

Images flashed past.

A familiar Malfoy Manor. Dumbledore lying on the ground, dead. Something else came, and he saw a boy that looked far too much like James Potter, but he felt a spell hit his chest and was thrown from her mind.

Mia shot to her feet, having been deposited on the chair Regulus had previously occupied. "Regulus Black!"

" _No_!" He yelled back, rounding on her now. "I will _not_ let what happened last time happen again!"

"You were chasing a specific memory," she argued heatedly. "He was only looking at what I showed him!"

"He could do whatever the hell he wants while he's in there," Regulus spat. Mia stared at him hard, her eyes flashing angrily and her hair sparking.

"I would not look at something she did not want me to see," Severus insisted immediately, hurt.

"This is not your choice," Mia snapped, her eyes beginning to glow golden, something that startled Severus. "This is not your mind - it's _mine_. And I trust him."

"No, Mia," Regulus shook his head angrily. "I will not risk it. If he can't trust you-,"

" _Petrificus Totalus_!" Mia screamed, waving her hand at her boyfriend. Severus cringed as the boy's body snapped together and Mia lowered him carefully to the floor. "I'm sorry, yell at me when we're done, but this is _my mind_. You don't decide who can look inside of it."

Mia turned to Severus. "I trust you." Her tone was a warning, but there was something else there, like she really just needed him to know. He nodded shakily and pointed his wand at her this time.

" _Legillimens_ ," he hissed, and he was sucked into a new memory, slower this time as he watched it play out.

 _Hermione was standing next to Remus Lupin, wand in hand, with tears streaming down her face. She heard someone sobbing behind her and turned to help them, but found her legs giving out instead. Remus grabbed her before she could hit the grass and pulled her into his chest as she let the sob that had built in her chest release._

 _They were outside, on the grounds, and Severus watched as she turned in Lupin's arms until he was holding her still but now her back to his chest. She looked across the grass at Dumbledore's body and found a boy, the boy who looked like James Potter, next to the old man's body._

 _Xx_

 _They were in a small living room. Hermione was shaking as she was sat into a chair._

" _I don't know if you should," a redhead looked down at her in worry. "We don't know how long Bellatrix really had you for. At least six hours, Mione. We can't do the physical therapy. Perhaps you should just stay in bed."_

" _I'm going crazy up there, Bill," she sighed, her eyes begging him. He nodded reluctantly and let her sit next to another redhead - Fred. Hermione pulled an object out of her shirt and ran her fingers over it, using it the way one would use worry beads. There was a miniscule crack in it, and he was certain she hadn't seen it._

 _Suddenly, there was a small explosion. Fred grabbed her arm, trying to dive out of the way, and the explosion hit the glass of the object right at the wrong spot. The object blew open, and the glass was pelted into her chest._

 _Xx_

 _A bright light was fading. There was some hurried speaking._

" _The forbidden forest…. We could be captured anytime," Hermione said, looking panicked._

 _The memory sped up during her panic, flying through something about sands of time and her injuries._

 _And then he heard James Potter's voice. Following that was Remus Lupin, and then Sirius Black as they all walked into view._

 _Everything skipped ahead a little, and he saw as she introduced herself as Mia and agreed with Dumbledore to come to school and join a family - the Potters. To her own immense surprise, she was sorted into Slytherin, and she thought firmly of her first sorting, where she'd found herself in Gryffindor._

And then he fell out of her mind. And stared at her. "You're… from the future," Severus said weakly. Mia rolled her eyes and nodded.

"And I've found a way back, but I need your help to make sure no one remembers I was here to begin with."

"How?"

"Occlumency," she shrugged. "And Legillimency, and a Notice-Me-Not charm."

"Of course I'll help, Sano," he bowed his head in amazement. "How long do you have before you leave?"

"I'm… not certain," she sighed. "The spell we're using has some side effects that are hard to manage, so we have to go slow. At least six months."

"That'll be enough time," he nodded. "I'll be glad to help." She smiled and kissed his cheek lightly.

"Thanks, love. Now you might wanna get out of here before I unbind him. He's going to be furious." Severus rolled his eyes at their argument and left, leaving Mia alone with her frozen boyfriend.

"Regulus, before I let you go, do remember that you love me," she begged, walking across the room and pointing her wand at him. " _Finite_."

Regulus was up in an instant, his eyes glowing with fury as he stalked across the room to her, looking genuinely intimidating. His mouth was set and he was silent for the moment it took to reach her. He stared down at her, the height difference helping him to look more dangerous, and she saw the family instability in him, startling her.

"Hermione," he started. She suppressed a shiver at the sound of her name on his furious, quiet tongue. "That was a very bad idea." He was burning holes in her head with his gaze, and she snapped, looking away, but he slipped his fingers under her chin and made her look at him again, holding her firmly.

"He was getting anxious. I trust him."

"So do I, Mia. With _my_ life. Not yours," he snapped, glaring at her. As much as she knew that because of their soul bond, he was unable to purposely hurt her, she would admit to being a little afraid in that moment. She knew he'd go to great lengths to protect her, but she wondered what he'd do if he thought she was putting herself in danger. The look in his eyes made her worry, as illogical as it was, that he would hurt her. "If something had happened - if he'd been polyjuiced and replaced - and he attacked you, I couldn't have helped. And what if he found something out about himself that he didn't like? _Did it ever fucking occur to you that he could've hurt you on accident_?" Regulus demanded, his typically bright silver eyes clouded now in his furious anger.

"But he didn't! Nothing happened," Mia protested, becoming more and more uncomfortable with looking at the growing instability in his eyes, though he would not release her and let her look away.

"But he could have!" He screamed, ignoring her flinch. His grip on her was tight and she tried to twist out of it, wincing when his grip only tightened. "He could very well have lost control and sent you back to something you don't want to remember. What if he'd seen Bellatrix? Or Sirius's death? Or Dolohov?" He breathed heavily, his face inches from hers and his eyes wide. "He could have hurt you, Mia! You don't seem to understand why that is such a terrifying idea to me!" He grabbed her shoulders roughly, finally releasing her face, and interrupting any response she had started. "If I am going to die, I will spend every fucking second of the rest of my life protecting you, Mia Potter. And I swear that on my bloody fucking magic and wand." He snapped it at her, his fingers digging into her shoulders. Mia felt a magical string tug at her core as Regulus continued on, to her horror. "I swear my wand and my magic to you, Mia, because as long as I live, I will not let anyone harm you if I can help it."

And then a soft, magical buzz enveloped them as their magical cores tugged tightly, and it took Mia a second to understand. When she did, she pulled her arms up and shoved his hands off of her shoulders hard and suddenly, not caring as he accidentally scratched her arms hard on the way, drawing a couple drops of blood, and hit his chest as hard as she could.

"You're such a fucking idiot!" She yelled, stepping back. "You just swore _fealty_ to me on your bloody magic! You can't take that back!" She screeched at him as he gave a small, smug smile. His mood had flipped so quickly she thought she had whiplash.

"I know I did, Little Lion."

"You will _die_ if you break that oath, you idiot!" She cried, slapping his chest again. He grabbed her wrists firmly to stop her.

"Mmhm," he responded cheekily.

"You're such a fucking idiot!"

"Actually, I think that's the best resolution to this situation, and I'm pretty happy with it," he smirked. Mia wondered if that smirk was something you were forced to learn as a pureblood child. She hated it.

"You're so stupid," Mia stated, still seething.

"Whatever you say, Little Lion." He tightened his grip on her wrists as she struggled to hit him again and pulled her close to kiss her nose. "But I'm your stupid."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia stormed into the Gryffindor common room after Avery dropped her off - she was still angry with Regulus and refused to let him, so they'd called Avery and she'd informed both of them she'd be sleeping in Gryffindor Tower.

If she was being honest with herself, which she wasn't, she would admit that the entire encounter had scared her. She'd never seen him so angry and especially not with her. The fact that he'd refused to let her look away from his fury had scared her as well. But as she wanted to ignore that, she focused on her anger with him and his ridiculous oath.

She huffed her way over to a couch and slammed herself down into James's side. Lily and James gave her a look, and she shook her head. She didn't want to talk about it until Sirius had come back from whatever date he had lined up for the night.

"James Potter, you've got N.E.W.T.S. to take and you should be studying!" She heard Lily scold while James shrugged lightly and flip through a handwritten Quidditch book that Mia suspected was his playbook.

"We have this argument every night, Lils, and it always ends with us kissing. Can we just skip straight to that?" James asked, giving his girlfriend a cheeky wink. Lily sighed, exasperated, and turned to Mia.

"How was that thing with Regulus and Severus?" she asked, her tone odd. She was supportive of Mia, though she was still hesitant about her old friend.

"Severus was lovely. I asked him for a favor and he offered his help immediately," she paused to scowl darkly. "Mister Black, however, was a complete and utter prat."

"I'm a what now?" She heard Sirius ask from the portrait hole. She rolled her eyes and stood to face him.

"Not you," she waved him over quietly. "Your dumb brother."

Lily watched them and stood, yawning a bit. "I'll let you three talk. I need to get some actual rest tonight." She gave her boyfriend a quick kiss goodnight and left the room, apparently too tired to remember her books. Mia absently levitated them after her friend with a flick of her hand.

"What'd he do?" Sirius asked, his voice carefully calm. "Did he hurt you?"

Mia thought back to the way he'd looked at her, the way he'd stalked over and grabbed her so tight, but she shook her head, unwilling to tell Sirius, of all people, about it. "No. But he's going to get himself killed." She offered as an afterthought. Sirius just frowned and waved for her to continue, and James was listening quietly on the floor as he flipped through his Quidditch plays.

"We got into an argument," she sighed. "A large one, a scary one. And then his mood shifted so suddenly, and he was swearing fealty to me… the binding kind. I couldn't stop him."

James's head snapped up and Sirius's jaw dropped. They both knew how serious such a thing was, and it was an incredibly rare occurrence in the current political landscape.

"He- he did _what_?" Sirius sounded alarmed, and Mia knew it was because he knew more than any of the Marauders about the constant danger she was in.

"He was just telling me how I was being reckless - I was not, so don't get worried - and complained about taking care of me. Then he made the oath before I could stop him… though he threw in a couple of colorful words for emphasis." She said angrily, her eyes flashing gold. He was going to get himself killed, and she was beyond furious for it.

"Mia, I… I think this is a good thing," James said quietly. Her head snapped to him, her eyes flashing brightly, and he continued on carefully. "I mean, we all know he'd die for you anyways. It's just now he's got no choice but to protect you, and while I know you don't need it… well, it makes us all feel better knowing you have backup."

"He should never get hurt for me, Jamie," Mia snapped. "That's just stupid."

"No, I- I think he's right," Sirius agreed, surprising Mia.

"Excuse me?"

"Prongs has a point. And I think it would be good if we all swore fealty as well-,"

"If you ever suggest that again," Mia said in the most frightening voice Sirius had ever heard. "I will remove myself from your lives. Permanently."

She would've just told him that one day, at the DOM, he'd watch her be hurt and instead run to protect Harry, and that he wouldn't remember her, but no one aside from Fred, Mia, Regulus, and Severus knew her plans to make everyone forget.

"Right then. No fealty," James said weakly, breaking the silence.

Mia nodded sharply and turned on her heel. "Goodnight," she said with what she hoped wasn't a sneer, and ran up to the girls' dorms, where she'd be sleeping.

The last thing they heard her say - or rather, yell - that night was "Boys are fucking stupid!" and they turned to each other, both slightly bewildered by her frustration.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

It was nearly two in the morning when Remus woke up and snuck down to the common room. His insomnia was getting worse as the full moon grew closer, and he wanted to at least use the time to do his Charms essay.

When he reached the bottom of the stairs, he spotted Mia and Fred huddled together, talking. Before he could move to sit with them, he heard them talking quietly.

"-had a thought," Mia said, sounding upset. She sounded like she'd had a nightmare, and his gut twisted as the wolf inside him begged to comfort his pack.

"Hmm?" Fred responded, petting her hair absently as he stared at the fire. They were cuddled up together, Mia resting against his chest carefully, her legs up on the table in front of them.

"We should tell Remus about the DOM," she whispered.

"What?" Fred said loudly, straightening up and almost elbowing her in the face. "Are you insane? He'll go crazy!"

"Yes, I _know_ , but he held Harry back, Fred. He saved his life. Harry would've died, too."

 _Who else died?_

"But if he knows, won't he just try to stop it?" Fred questioned, quieter now as he considered it for the sake of Harry.

"Not if we make him take an Unbreakable Vow," Mia countered, her voice tired and dark. Remus bit his lip, wondering what could be so important.

"It's your call, Mione," Fred sighed, pulling her back into his arms as he settled again. "I don't like the idea, but I can't stop you."

"Remus, will you come here?" He froze, eyes wide. He was caught.

Remus walked slowly to them and sat next to Mia. "How'd you know I was there?"

"Those stairs creak, and I heard your breath hitch when we said your name." She considered him. "You should work on breathing quieter. It'll help during the war."

"Okay…"

"So, will you take the vow?"

Remus hesitated. He knew whatever she wanted to say had to be important if she was willing to put him in this danger.

"Yes."

Mia nodded her head at Fred, who just sighed and pulled out his wand as Mia and Remus held each other's forearms.

"Will you, Remus Jacob Lupin, keep our secrets tonight?"

"I will."

"Will you promise not to try to change the future?"

"I will."

"And will you protect Harry James Potter when we request you protect him?"

"I- I will."

Fred lowered his wand as the tendrils of flame settled into their arms and magical cores. Mia bit her lip hard and looked between her friends for a moment before throwing herself at Remus and hugging him tightly. He hugged her back instantly, worried.

"Mia?"

"I'm so sorry," she mumbled into his chest. "I'm going to fix it - I'm going to save him."

"Mia, who died?"

"S-Sirius," she squeezed him tighter, but Remus felt his entire body go cold and numb very quickly.

"No."

"Remus, I promise you, I'm going to bring him back." She raised her wrist to show him the tattoo like black line drawn across it that matched Sirius's own. "That's why I did this. So I can… so we can have him back. But Remus, we have to ask you a favor."

"What?"

"The night Sirius dies, we're… there. You, me, Harry, the Order, and some other students. I was… Dolohov had a tight hold of me, no one noticed me, and I couldn't do anything. But when Sirius dies, he falls into the Veil. Harry… tries to go after him. To- to save him or join him, I've never been sure. But you held him back, which I always thought was odd. Sirius was your best friend… I figured you'd be overcome with grief. But I think, and now know, that you knew. So… Remus, we need you to do exactly that. We just need you to save him. Please."

Remus nodded dumbly and glanced back at the dorms. "Sirius…" They'd all known the battle was one of the darkest nights of Mia's life, rivalled only by something that Sirius wouldn't explain but said had happened just before she'd met them. Still, Remus now knew why the battle of the DOM hurt her so badly. He knew, and he didn't blame her one bit.

"I know, love," she squeezed him and rubbed his back gently as Fred went back to bed, leaving them alone with a supportive smile to Mia.

They spent that night like they always did when neither could sleep. Mia lied across Remus as he read to her in a shaky voice. Every once in a while, she'd take the book from him and read to him instead. They stayed up all night like that, and James found them cuddling with a book in the common room, looking like a pair of kicked dogs.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **January 7th, 1977**

"Sano, you've got to speak to him sometime," Severus tried. Mia had been avoiding Regulus for days now, and Severus was tired of the pouting both of his friends were doing.

Mia tilted her head up and crossed her arms. "No. Not until he admits he's an idiot and finds a way to take it back."

"You know as well as I do that he couldn't take it back, even if he wanted to. And he definitely doesn't want to."

"It was stupid!" Mia snapped. "I'm trying to keep him from dying, not to get him to die _for_ me!"

"Would you rather he die for the Dark Lord?" Severus responded calmly. Mia winced, thinking about how he was supposed to do just that before scowling at him.

"That's not the point."

"Then what is?"

"I don't want anyone to die for me," she said quietly. "Especially not him, Sev. He's… we have a soul bond."

Severus stared at her for a moment, processing the new information. Thinking on it now, their actions toward each other made perfect sense now. "Mia, this is war. People die for people. It's just a part of life. But he's in love with you. He wants a reason to die, should it happen, that he doesn't loathe. You give that to him, and it makes him… happy."

"I just… Sev, I don't want him to die at all," she spoke quietly, letting her fear tinge her voice.

"Is he going to die, Mia?" Severus asked slowly.

"Yes," she looked away, biting her lip hard. "But I've found a way to save him."

"Then what's the problem?" he questioned gently.

She stared at her friend for a long second and glanced at his eyes, nodding once more. He frowned a little, but cast the spell and slipped into her mind.

 _Hermione was on the floor, writhing in pain and screaming. There were tears streaking through the dirt on her face and falling to the cold stone floor beneath her. She could see Bellatrix above her pull her wand down, and almost missed the excruciating pain. A dagger slipped from the woman's sleeve and fell into her hand. She pushed down hard, using the cursed blade to carve into Hermione's skin a horrible word. Even so, when she was done, she stood up and cursed her again, laughing maniacally at her screams._

Mia shook as she shoved him out of her mind. "That was a week before I came to this time. When we get back, when he's there with me, we're in war. I'm one of the three most wanted people in the war. I'm in danger, Severus. He can't keep me safe from that."

Severus took a moment to calm down, feeling sick from the sight he'd witnessed. It was horrible, and something inside of him churned uncomfortably at the thought of her being tortured. When he'd gained some semblance of calm, he looked at her again. "Swearing fealty does not mean protecting you from every threat without fail. It just means doing everything you can to keep someone safe. He already does that. As long as he continues, magic will view his job as complete and leave him alone."

Mia paused. "It won't… kill him if I get hurt?"

"No. Not as long as he tries to protect you. Furthermore, if he's unaware of the original threat, then he would have had no chance to protect you, and so he will be free from harm once more."

"Oh."

"As a matter of fact," Severus tilted his head to the side. "I, Severus Snape, do swear my wand and magic to protect you, Mia Potter."

Mia's eyes widened as he spoke and she stood abruptly, angry. "Severus!"

"It won't hurt me as long as I do what I already plan on doing," he reminded her, looking almost amused.

"That was still extremely reckless! You don't even know your place in my life in the future!"

Severus paused, as if the thought had not occurred to him. "Sano, who am I to you?"

She stiffened. "It is unimportant."

"But I've seen you be injured?"

Mia thought back to the night Dumbledore died. She was fighting on the grounds as Snape and Harry dueled shortly. Yes, he had run past her as a hex hit her. "Yes."

"And I did nothing?"

She balled up her fists. "Yes."

He stared at her for a long moment. "Who was I to you?"

She ran her fingers through her hair, considering her options. She knew that even if she told him, he'd forget. It wasn't that dangerous, was it?

"You were my potions professor," she sighed, crossing her legs as she turned to face him completely.

"You said your potions professor called you an insufferable know it all," he stared. She looked away. " _I called you an insufferable know it all_?"

Mia tapped her leg anxiously. "It wasn't a big deal."

"You also said your potions professor was cruel to you over your entire schooling," he continued, staring at her uncomfortably. "Mia, _look at me_."

She did as he said but spoke before he could. "This is… one side of the story. There's a possibility I gave you some reason to hate me so much."

He stared at her and tapped her leg lightly, signalling the need for eye contact. She allowed it, though he didn't go into her mind. "I am so sorry."

"Stop," she shifted, pulling away. "Please, Severus, just… stop. It's over. It wasn't a big deal. I've got bigger issues in my life than your hatred of me and my friends."

He sighed, setting his books on the table and turning to her again. "I am serious, Sano. Nothing you, an eleven year old, could've done could explain or excuse my treatment of you."

Mia thought about how Snape cared for Lily and her upcoming death. "Maybe not, but it's genuinely never been the biggest problem in my life."

"Do I even want to know?" He asked, frowning.

"Let's just say… petrification by way of basilisk sleeping under the school," she said, smiling at his shock. "I've always had bigger problems. And if it really upset me that bad, do you think I would've befriended you here?"

He conceded her point. "I suppose not."

"What do you want to do with your life, Severus?" she asked quietly after a few moments.

"Well, I suppose I become a teacher."

"Yes," she agreed. "But I've always gotten the impression that you hate teaching. You dislike the children. So, what do you want to do?"

He considered it. "If I could choose, if I weren't a Death Eater?" She nodded. "I think I'd be an Auror."

"Really?" She asked, shocked. He nodded.

"I've always been passionate about defense. Potions might be what I'm best at, but defense is… different."

She nodded, smiling. "Thanks for telling me."

They fell into a contemplative silence for a moment before he gave her a small smile. "Please speak with Regulus. His whining is going to get him punched."

Mia laughed, throwing her head back. "By me, maybe." She nodded slowly. "I'll speak with him."

"Thank you," Severus breathed a sigh of relief. "He's like a lost dog. He's turned into Black."

Mia burst into laughter as she left the room to find her boyfriend and make up.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **January 13th, 1977**

"You got it!" Fabian yelled excitedly. He was grinning ear to ear as Mia finished the spell and put her wand down carefully. She paused, feeling suspiciously light and… happy?

"I do!" She yelled, turning to kiss Regulus hard on the lips. He'd taken to waiting directly behind her, just in case.

"It'll take more practice to get it perfect," Fabian reminded her. "It might take a while, but you've done it." He pushed himself around the table and picked her up in a spinning hug, squeezing her tight. "I'm so proud of you, pet."

"Oh, Fab, thank you so much. I couldn't have done this without you. I'm so excited!" She laughed. "Maybe I can start making the rings soon." She grinned up at him as she thought of Harry and Ginny and _Sirius_.

"How many rings are you making again?"

"Seven."

"Merlin, Mia, seven rings?"

She nodded a little. "I've got people to save."

"Who… who are they going to?" He asked.

She frowned, looking between the two. "You each get one, as well as Gideon," she started, surprising them. "And… James. Avery as well. Then Fred and I."

"We get one?" Regulus asked carefully. She looked between them.

"I- I've thought for a long time about what is too much to share," she admitted. "And I've got a way to solve the memory issue so you won't avoid these catalysts. Your… deaths," she sucked in a breath. "Served as a reason I wanted to save you. That's why you have to wait to use the rings until the last moment. So that everyone thinks that you did, in fact, die."

Regulus was silent but Fabian spoke. "How did I… die?"

She turned to him. "You and Gideon fought Death Eaters in your home. Five of them, I believe. It took five Death Eaters to take you out. No bodies were found. They assumed they'd destroyed you."

"I see," he sighed, nodding a little. "A hell of a way to go out."

"But I don't think you actually died," she shook her head. "I think it was my rings."

"And me?"

Mia turned, biting her lip. She pulled him over to a seat and sat down. "You know those Horcruxes?"

Regulus nodded hesitantly.

"Voldemort gave one to you, as well as one to Lucius Malfoy and one to Bellatrix, I think. He gave it to you, and you figured out what it was. You got a copy of the object and placed it where Voldemort sent you."

"How do you… know that?" he frowned at her.

"Well, I know about Fab and Gid because their niece - who hasn't been born yet - told me. I know about you because Harry and Dumbledore went to retrieve the item and found the fake. It had a note from you in it that was meant for Voldemort, and it was signed with your initials. R.A.B." She shook her head. "We only figured out that it was you who stole the lock- the item when we went to Grimmauld Place to hide, someone had stolen it. Kreacher told us who, then he pointed us to who had it after him, and… we broke into the ministry, stole it back, kept it on us for months and then finally destroyed it." She shrugged. "It was destroyed a week before we came here."

Regulus stared. "That's why you trusted me more than everyone else. You _knew_ I was trustworthy, or would be."

She looked away. "I wasn't trying to manipulate you," she promised. "I also trusted you because you didn't look like you fit in among the hatred and bigotry."

The group shifted uncomfortably as they processed the information. "Thank you, Mia."

She looked up and blinked at Fabian, who was giving her a small smile. "Thank you. It was actually your deaths, and a fight with Fred over saving you, that inspired me to find this in the first place. Without you, no one would be saved, and we'd be stuck here forever."

"Let's go," Regulus whispered, settling his hand on her arm. She glanced at him and nodded, following him out of the room with a soft "goodnight" to her friend.

When they reached the Room of Requirement instead of their dorms, Mia fiddled nervously with her wand as Regulus paced. She watched him turn and, instead of turning on his heel again, push himself over to her and grab her face in his hands, pressing his lips hard against hers. She gasped, her eyes closing as shock wore off and kissed him back deeply.

He kissed her soundly for a long time before he pulled away and pressed their foreheads together. "You can't just let us die, can you?"

" _No_ ," she growled, shaking her head a little, though not enough to stop touching heads. "I need you. I _refuse_ to lose you."

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Reg."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **January 18th, 1977**

Mia rolled out of bed, rubbing her eyes hard. It was the middle of the day, and she'd requested time off of her classes from Dumbledore, and he'd agreed after she'd showed him her eyes, which now glowed constantly. She had finished two rings, Regulus and James, but the spell had suddenly stopped working, frustrating her to no end.

She pulled on the handmade robes Dorea had given her and put on the things she always wore - her ring that she'd charmed, the ring Regulus gave her, Potter bracelet, Fabian's locket, and the time turner. It was way more than she usually wore, but it was all much too important not to keep on her. Once she tamed her hair, she pulled it into a tight, high ponytail and made her way to Hogsmeade with Avery at her side.

She pushed her hand out in front of him and he held on as she sent them to the house she'd been using. They appeared in the small den and Mia shrugged off her jacket, placing it carefully on the coat rack.

There were elves there, she knew, that were already preparing tea and sandwiches for the meeting. She silently found her way to the office nearby and sat down, Avery at her side.

"What does he need?" Avery asked, speaking for the first time aside from polite conversation.

"I'm not sure," Mia admitted, setting both of her wands on the desk. "Perhaps just to talk more. We didn't have much time at the ball."

"Lord Lestrange has arrived," a house elf announced, leading Rodolphus into the room. Mia smiled kindly at the elf and thanked her, letting her leave before she stood to greet the man in front of her.

"Rodolphus," she smiled. "It's nice to see you."

"And you," he smiled back, looking tired. Mia waved for him to sit and he did, nodding thankfully as she did the same.

"Has Bellatrix managed to Imperius you again?" Mia wondered, looking him over in concern. He shook his head.

"No, I've fended her off and convinced her I finally agree with her beliefs."

"Good."

"Yes," he agreed, sighing. "But I've come with some bad news."

"Oh?"

"They're watching you."

Mia paused. Would she never be safe from him? "How long?"

"Since you disappeared before the raid in Diagon Alley," he answered, glancing at Avery.

"That could be seen as a friend warning an ally," she tried weakly. She was too tired to run again, not when she was supposed to be safe, at least from Voldemort specifically.

"That is what I suggested," he agreed. "But the Dark Lord wants you watched more carefully. He assigned me to you, but that means that whoever is overseeing me will also oversee you."

"I see. Thank you for the warning."

He nodded.

"I assume you'd like to know more about what's happening here?" she changed the subject as the elf, Trisky, brought in the tea and sandwiches before leaving again.

"I'd appreciate that," Rodolphus said slowly.

"Well, you know I've got power within the light," she began. "You know I'm helping my boys, but not _how_." He nodded. "Avery, please remove your shirt."

Avery started, staring down at her. "Regulus's patience is astounding, Sano." She winked at him as he pulled his shirt up, revealing the paw print. She stood and did the same, pushing her bra up just a little to show the same mark on her ribs. Rodolphus blushed slightly and she rolled her eyes. "Relax, I'm not stripping. These marks are my mark," she explained. "Dumbledore has released the information to the Order that if a Death Eater has one, they're mine, and they're good. They completely erase any doubt of alliances, and it should help greatly in restoring your social standing after the war is over."

"That's… brilliant," he breathed. "But how do you know someone can't just get a tattoo of a paw print?"

She grinned and poked Avery with her wand, signalling the need for his shirt to be removed again. He rolled his eyes and did as she asked, and she pressed her wand to it. "It's a special rune, and I made it by twisting other runes together. It lights up when someone in the Order touches their wand to it. Someone of the light. It's also connected to my magical core, and I have a theory that if I'm in danger or hurt, it'll start glowing and possibly burning you, but… we'll get to that when we come to it," she shrugged as Avery lowered his shirt again, looking distinctly annoyed with his leader.

"Anything else I need to know?"

"Um," she frowned. "Oh. If you ever see Regulus, Severus, or Avery go to dramatic lengths and possibly out themselves to protect me, it's because they're fucking idiots."

"...what?"

Avery rolled his eyes. "We swore fealty to her. She's still mad at us."

"Of _course_ I'm mad at you!" She turned on him. "It was bad enough that Reg did it in the middle of a fight, and then Severus did it when trying to convince me to _talk_ to Reg _after_ the fight, and then _you_ , the most sensible of all of them, do it when I tried to complain to you!"

Rodolphus stared at Avery. "You're really that loyal to the light?"

"No," Avery shook his head firmly. "We're that loyal to _Mia_."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"I fucking hate Slytherins," Mia growled, stomping into the Gryffindor boys' dorm. James and Fred looked up and glanced at each other before looking back at her.

"Mia, love," Fred said slowly. "You are aware that you _are_ a Slytherin, right?"

"I'm a Gryffindor at heart," she snapped angrily. James stood from his bed and moved over to her, wrapping an arm around her and leading her back over to his bed until she sat. Fred made his way over and sat on her other side, looking at her.

"What happened?" James asked carefully. There were only two people in the world he was truly afraid of, and he loved them both dearly. Mia and Lily.

"I went to see Rodolphus," she sighed. "And I was explaining that if my boys did anything stupid to save me and accidentally outed themselves as mine, it was because they'd been fucking idiots and swore fealty to me, right?" They both nodded slowly. "Well of _course_ that prompted this bloody idiot to do it as well!" James, despite his best efforts, snickered. Mia rounded on him, eyes golden and hair sparking. "James?"

"Sorry," he coughed, trying to maintain a straight face.

Mia fell silent as she looked at her feet. "I just don't understand why everyone wants to risk their lives for me." She wondered briefly if this was how Harry felt and felt a pang of empathy.

"Because you are the very definition of what is worth fighting for," Fred answered softly. "And they want to show you that."

"Well, I think that's fucking stupid."

"I know."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **January 22nd, 1977**

"It's just the bookstore, Sirius," Mia rolled her eyes. "Calm down. Do you really want to spend two hours in here, bored out of your mind?" She reasoned, eyebrow raised. "Besides, the Quidditch supply store is right next door. If I need you, I'll yell."

Sirius frowned at her in frustration, but gave in anyway. "Fine. But if anything seems off at all, you call for me."

Mia nodded and gave him a mock salute as he kissed her cheek and walked into the Quidditch store. She opened the door and took a deep breath, smelling in the scent of books. It was one of her favorite smells, and she loved coming in the old book store. They had a selection of rare muggle books that nobody paid much attention to, but she spent her time picking at it.

Mia wandered to the back to the auto-biographies, waving a quiet hello to the owner. She spent a good fifteen minutes back there, shifting through the gentle copies. Every once in a while, she'd pick up something and read the back before putting it down again and moving on. She had no clue what she wanted, but that was always the fun of it, really. It was also why she chose to spend so long in there, as it usually took her a while to find anything worthwhile.

She'd been in the store for about a half hour when she heard the jingle from the door opening and closing again. She was hidden behind some bookcases, but she could clearly see a familiar bush of black hair. Her heart rate picked up at the sight, and she went on red alert as she looked for a way out that was anything but the front door.

"Have you got what I asked for?" Bellatrix asked in a shrill voice.

"Not yet, ma'am. It won't be in for another week," the owner replied nervously.

"I told you I need it today!" She yelled angrily.

"P-please, I couldn't get it yet! It doesn't work like that!"

"I don't care what it works like!" Bellatrix shrieked. Mia saw her throw spells at the door and the windows went black. She was certain the doors had been locked and the store silenced. " _Crucio_!"

Mia's heart skipped several beats. She refused to let this happen. She pulled her wand out and stepped out from behind the bookshelf. She would've been able to possibly disarm or stun the woman, but she tripped over a stack of hidden books, and Bellatrix turned, disarming her immediately.

She sucked in a breath as Bellatrix caught the wand, and trained both wands on her. She glanced at the owner, who was crawling toward the back. "That's illegal, you know," she said, distracting Bellatrix long enough for the man to finish slipping away.

"And what do you care, girl?" she snarled.

"That's an innocent man you were torturing!" Mia yelled back.

"He failed to do what I told him!"

"It doesn't matt-,"

" _Crucio_!" Bellatrix yelled harshly.

Mia's breath was sucked from her as the familiar pain dropped her to the ground hard. Her head hit on the bookshelf next to her, and she felt her body shaking in as her pain potion buckled under the stress. Every bit of her shook, desperate for relief. It was all too familiar, and she heard Bellatrix laughing cruelly again. She pulled herself into a tight ball as tears began to fall and her throat went raw. It went on for what felt like forever, her previous exposure being no help now, but rather making it worse as she old pains were awoken by the same pains. She felt it stop for a second and hated it, knowing it would only come again.

"Filthy blood traitor!" Bellatrix shrieked at her, sending another crucio. Mia had found early on that she couldn't scream, and she thought that was incredibly cruel. After what felt like days but she would later realize was an hour and a half, Mia finally passed out from the pain. The last thing she saw was the door to the shop opening, and familiar black pants running toward Bellatrix.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sirius sighed impatiently as he tapped his foot. James rolled his eyes at his best friend.

"Why don't you just go get her if you're so anxious? It's been two hours by now." James suggested. Sirius sighed again and nodded shortly, walking out of the store and leaving James alone to look at the new gloves he wanted on his own.

Sirius turned the corner and felt his stomach knot when the door to the bookstore was locked. He pulled out his wand and muttered a rushed " _alohomora_ " and stormed in to see his deranged cousin torturing his best friend. He froze for a minute in absolute horror before he silently disarmed Bellatrix. She whirled around to face him and sneered.

"You dare take my wand?!" She screamed, moving closer to him.

" _Stupefy_!" He yelled immediately. He knew she could torture without her wand and didn't feel like dealing with that. " _Petrificus Totalus_!" He added, just to be safe. When she was out of the way, he moved quickly to Mia, who he noticed had fallen unconscious at some point. The terror in his heart dissipated very slightly when he felt for a pulse and, however faint, found one, though it was still fading.

" _James_!" Sirius screamed. "It's okay, it's okay Mia. You're okay." He muttered quietly, picking her up to hold her in his shaking arms. "You'll be okay."

James came storming in and the door slammed against the wall with how hard he yanked it open. His eyes searched the store for only a moment before landing on his best friend holding Mia. He threw himself across the room next to them.

"What the fuck happened, Padfoot?"

"Bellatrix," Sirius choked out, painfully holding back tears. "Get Auror Prewett to arrest her."

"N-no…" They heard a small voice say. The brothers looked down at a violently shaking Mia in wonder.

"Did you say _no_?" Sirius demanded.

"She… still has a role to play…" She said weakly, her voice soft and cracking as she shook. "Get me to the Room and get… please get Reg." Her breathing was unsteady, and her pulse was still weak. The boys exchanged looks before nodding. Sirius stood as carefully as he could, but Mia still groaned in pain. She pointed weakly to something, and James spotted her wand on the floor next to Bellatrix. He grabbed it and frowned more before pointing his own wand at Sirius and Mia, disillusioning them and silencing them.

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	11. Sealing

**January 22nd, 1977**

Regulus screamed. He screamed as his chest and his wrist burned painfully, his skin igniting under the golden light. He pulled his shirt off quickly, ignoring Severus and Avery next to him and found his paw print and bracelet lit up brighter than even when Dolohov had hurt her.

" _Mia_."

And then he was running, running because he _knew_ where she was, and checking the bracelet simply confirmed it. He ran as fast as he could, but he was stopped by two teachers in front of him - McGonagall and Slughorn. He glared and felt himself growl. "Let me _go_!"

But they didn't, wouldn't, and they led him to Dumbledore's office after stunning him because he refused to stop fighting them. They used _rennervate_ when they entered the office, and he turned to glare, but they had left the room and Dumbledore was all he was left with.

"Let me go!" He demanded.

"Mister Black," Dumbledore said in his slow, grandfatherly voice that only served to make him angrier. "I'm sure you can see why we can't do that. You tried to attack two teachers, after all."

"It's _Mia_ ," he said impatiently, glaring darkly. He pushed his shirt up, showing his paw print. "She's in danger, possibly dying. I have to get to her!"

"Miss Potter is with the group in Hogsmeade," Dumbledore reminded him slowly. "I'm sure she's fine."

They were interrupted by a patronus, a wolf, running into the room, Remus's voice speaking in a panic. "Regulus. The Room. Bellatrix got to Mia. She's dying."

Regulus screamed, unable to control himself. Dumbledore waved his door open with a speed unnatural to the old man, and Regulus ran out, sprinting to the seventh floor. It took him five agonizing minutes to get there, and he burst in to find Avery and Severus already there with the Marauders. They were all in a circle around a bed in the hospital like room, though they were giving someone room, someone who was working.

Regulus shoved someone - James Potter, he thought - out of his way and pushed forward, his breath catching painfully at the sight in front of him.

On the bed was Mia, shaking more violently than he'd ever seen her. She was whimpering in pain, tears running freely down her face as Sirius moved around her, healing her however he knew.

"Regulus," Sirius breathed. "Hold her legs. _Please_. I- I have to hurry, her magic is… it's not good. It's turning on her, poisoning her instead of healing, or at least it's not accepting my magic. I… don't know." His eyes widened and he nodded, doing what was asked of him.

Things progressed slowly for what felt like days until hours later, James had an idea.

"Have him heal her," he said softly, nodding at Regulus. Sirius's head shot up.

" _Why_?"

"Sirius," James grabbed his arm gently, pulling him away. "They have a soul bond. You know how strong that is. She might be rejecting it because she needs him, too."

Sirius tried to think of an argument but eventually nodded, backing off to let Regulus silently move forward from his position at her legs. He gripped her hand tightly in his own and pressed his other hand to her chest, above her heart and did what his magic guided him to do.

He slipped into an odd trance-like state.

"Mia?" He frowned. They were in Hogwarts, but a room he'd never been in. It was covered in red, and he was certain it was Gryffindor common rooms.

"Hermione," the girl in front of him corrected.

"You're the same, aren't you?" He asked, confused. She shook her head.

"She was always meant to be Mia Potter," she explained. "But I am her magic, her beginning, her _core_."

Regulus stared, surprised. "Her magic?"

Hermione nodded. "I can take a physical form, if I need to, or show myself to others. I've had no need until now."

"What did you do… last time?" he asked shakily. He'd been barely holding it together with the knowledge that it had happened again, she'd been tortured like that _again_.

"I connected with Bill Weasley," she explained. "We were ripped apart early, but he helped us heal enough. Without him, when she was brought to Shell Cottage, she'd have gone crazy like… someone she knows."

Regulus sucked in a breath. "And now?"

" _Now_ ," she smiled softly, reaching out to touch his cheek. It was weird, like pure magic was caressing him, and he supposed it was. "She has you. She needs you, your magic."

"I don't know how to-,"

"Of course you do," Hermione scoffed. "Think it through, Regulus."

He pursed his lips, trying to understand her point. There was only one thing that made sense, but surely not… "You don't mean… bonding us?"

Hermione grinned brightly. "Of course I do."

"We _can't_!" He denied immediately.

"Why not?"

"That's… marriage," he sighed.

"No," Hermione disagreed. "It is typically a part of a magical wedding, yes, but it doesn't mean that you're married."

"I can't do it alone," he argued. "She has to be awake and consenting."

"I can keep her awake long enough for that," Hermione nodded. "You know what bonds do?"

"They… they combine magic," he sighed. "Like bank accounts. Your magic is combined into one total sum, and you pull from each other. That's why people don't do it so much anymore. It's impossible to undo."

"And beyond that," Hermione continued. "They help heal. One can be on the brink of death and brought back by their partner, _especially_ if they've got the bond that we've got." She paused. "And with especially strong bonds, you may be able to feel each other's emotions, possibly some pain too, like a warning that the other is in danger. Similarly, when one of you dies, it will be incredibly painful for the other." She shrugged. "It depends on the couple, but I believe we will likely have that."

"I thought you said you weren't Mia?" He frowned.

"I'm not," she agreed. "But I'm her magic, her core, her very being. And I'm connected to _yours_. Loosely right now, but once you do the bonding, it'll be stronger."

"What if she says no?"

Hermione stared at him. "Don't you know how much she loves you?" He glanced away, unwilling to share this vulnerability, this insecurity. "She has often considered staying behind with you," she explained. "Just to make sure that the ring works and you don't die. So that if you do, or might, she can save you. Or do it for you. She'd rather die than let you die. You are… her entire heart."

Regulus sucked in a breath. "This will help her?"

"Yes."

"Okay."

Regulus jumped as he was startled out of the trance and found himself holding his girlfriend, who was slowly, very slowly, waking.

"Regulus?" Mia whispered weakly. He nodded, holding her tight.

"I'm here, love. I'm here, I promise."

"Are we going to do it?"

He paused. "Did she talk to you, too?" Mia nodded. "You're a bloody strong witch, you know that, right?" Mia pulled back, giving him a weak smile. Regulus looked around at his friends and Mia's friends. "Everyone but Sirius, out."

There were, surprisingly, very few protests, but everyone promised to be back the second they could. With everyone out of the way, Regulus turned to his brother.

"Mia's magic had a talk with me, and her, I suppose."

"Her _magic_?" Sirius's eyes widened. "I thought that was just rumors."

"As did I," Regulus nodded, unwilling to think of the implications. "But she said Mia and I need to bond or- well, last time, her connection to Bill Weasley was the only thing that kept her mind intact."

Sirius shivered and looked down at Mia. "You want to do this?"

"We're going to do it someday, anyway," she agreed quietly. "If he really doesn't mind… I'd rather not lose my mind."

There was a quiet moment of shuffling as they arranged themselves. In any other situation, there'd be more arguing, more denying, or even more love in the air. Still, the situation at hand was too dire. No one had time to hesitate.

Sirius, being raised by proud purebloods, had been taught just about every bonding ceremony in the books, light and dark alike. He raised his wand, sitting at the end of the bed so he was able to hold it easier between the couple.

"Mia Potter," he began shakily. "Will you bond yourself willingly to Regulus Black, magic, heart, and soul, for all eternity?"

"I will," she replied, eyes wide.

"Regulus Black, will you bond yourself willingly to Mia Potter, magic, heart, and soul, for all eternity?"

"I will."

A bright, flashing golden light encircled them, and both felt that well of magic they'd had inside of them since they were born grow significantly as they added onto each other. The light faded gently into their skin, tickling them with the loving magic that now bound them. Mia gasped as some of the pain immediately dispersed - not much, but enough. Regulus, however, doubled over.

" _Mia_ ," he groaned. He waited it out and breathed through it as it slowly released, leaving him unsteady.

"Regulus?" she touched his arm gently. He shook his head. "What is it?"

"He can feel it," Sirius told her. Regulus glared at his brother, but he ignored him and continued. "With strong bonds, you sometimes get a bit of a telepathic connection, like twins, and you can feel pain, like a warning."

Mia gasped, horror in her eyes. "If I'd known-,"

"That's exactly why we didn't tell you," Regulus ground out, touching her face gently. "You wouldn't have done it and would've suffered longer."

"But-,"

"And now that we're bonded, love," he said, his heart speeding up a little at the thought. "I'll need you to go to sleep and let yourself heal."

There was minimal arguing as Mia's magic collapsed, signaling her need to rest. Regulus leaned over and kissed her gently on the lips. "I love you."

"I love you, Reg," she whispered back. He rubbed her arms gently as she fell into a fitful sleep. Once she had, he turned on his brother and slammed up a silencing charm so they wouldn't wake her.

"How the _fuck_ did this happen?" he growled. Sirius had been in charge of watching Mia while Regulus tutored some first years with his friends, something he deeply regretted signing up for. "You were supposed to watch her!"

"She told us to go next door," Sirius said tiredly. "Said she'd be in there for the full two hours."

"And instead _Bella_ found her?" Regulus snapped. "This is _your fault_."

"I know."

Regulus stared at his brother angrily before turning away and asking the room for an extension filled with _many_ breakable items. It did as he asked, and he placed many wards around the area to protect anyone outside and to keep it silent inside. Not willing to look back at his brother, he spoke as he entered the small area. "Let everyone else in. Don't tell them what we did."

And then he moved into the small room and ignored everything but his fury.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Regulus was smashing things. He was currently throwing a tea cup angrily at a mirror. They clashed so hard that both broke with a loud crack. He screamed some rather colorful curse words at nothing and threw a plate the room offered him. It hit the wall hard, and he screamed in anger again.

This went on for nearly two hours. Mia laid unconscious on a bed with Remus, James, Sirius, and Fred surrounding her, while Severus and Avery sat and watched Regulus throw his temper tantrum.

When Regulus finally slowed down, he was drenched in sweat and had tear tracks down his cheeks. The Room had vanished anything he'd broken immediately, so Regulus just collapsed on the ground. He fell silent then and waited there for his broken girlfriend to wake up again.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"I don't know how it happened," Sirius said quietly, hours of silence having passed. He knew Regulus was having a breakdown behind him, but he was having his own, too. He had a feeling everyone in the room was.

"I know-,"

"She said she would just be looking at books. She said she'd yell for me if anything looked wrong." He continued shakily. "I told her to yell for me. She saw my cousin and has fucking _been hurt before_ and she still didn't yell for me."

"It's exactly because she's been hurt before," Fred said darkly, his voice barely above a whisper. "She was being careful. I don't think it would've gone much better if she'd called for you."

"It shouldn't have happened," Sirius said lowly.

"Of course it shouldn't have," James snapped, irritated. "But it's not doing us any good to think about that, now is it?"

"I want to fucking kill her," Sirius said with a sigh. He felt useless. One of his best friends, a girl that was like a sister to him, was being tortured while he'd been picking out gloves, and he hadn't had a clue. It didn't seem right to him, and it made him furious.

They all paused when Mia twitched a bit, and Remus moved to her and began muttering soothing words to her. He'd been quiet except for every time she moved, and he'd refused to comment on the incident so far. He was very protective, and Sirius realized, unsurprised, that Remus considered Mia pack.

"Sirius, he wants to talk to you," they heard a voice call – Avery. He sighed and stood, giving his friends orders to take care of her. He walked numbly into the warded side of the room, where he saw his brother in the midst of his break down. He was a mess with sweat dripping and mixing with tears on the floor. He'd somehow torn his robes and cut his leg, and Sirius pulled out his wand with another sigh and carefully sat next to his baby brother, waving his wand over him to heal him.

"Why wasn't she protected?" It was sharp and dangerous, but Sirius didn't care. He'd expected the argument again once he'd finished breaking things.

"We were just next door. She told us she'd… she'd yell if anything looked off."

"You're supposed to be protecting her! I couldn't do it. She's already got Dolohov on her tail, and now Bellatrix will be after her, too!"

"I know." It was quiet, but Sirius refused to defend himself.

"She shouldn't be like this, Sirius." Regulus shook his head and took a breath. "I want two people with her at all times, now. I doubt the Dark Lord will paint her as a target for annoying Bellatrix, but she's still got our cousin after her now."

"I-I know. We'll all watch her."

Sirius heard Snape breathe out in a huff, and he couldn't even bring himself to care. He deserved it.

"The three of us will do what we can," Avery said slowly. The boy looked angry and had more emotion on his face than Sirius had ever seen, and Sirius felt horrible. "Since you can't seem to do it right."

Sirius nodded slowly. He deserved that. He was also a little shocked. He knew Mia was friends with a couple of Slytherins, but he hadn't realized they truly cared for her like that. He looked between the three of them and saw the same look on their faces as were on his friend's faces. He could see their protectiveness, and he knew they were all itching to hex him for this. Suddenly he had a new appreciation for Mia's friends.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **January 24th, 1977**

They'd all debated who needed to tell Fabian about Mia. Sirius, Fred, and Regulus were immediately ruled out, all of them having tempers that had blown up multiple times over the past days. James and Remus spent a while debating before they'd both been kicked out of the Room to tell him together.

Everyone - the Marauders and the Slytherins - had been in the Room for the past two days, keeping watch over Mia as she healed. Sirius had been giving her something to keep her asleep as he worked on healing what he could, but most of the progress truly came from Regulus. He'd been exhausted since their binding, but he was perfectly happy for it if it meant she healed faster.

James and Remus were outside of his office door when James hesitated to knock.

"They're close," he sighed. "Mia and Fabian. What do we do if he… doesn't take this well?"

Remus shrugged helplessly. "We wait for him to calm down and offer to take him to her. There's nothing else we can do."

James nodded a little and knocked on the door. Fabian opened it a few moments, looking tired. He raised an eyebrow at them, and both boys shifted uncomfortably.

"Can we come in? We… need to talk."

"That doesn't sound good," Fabian muttered quietly, but he opened the door wide and walked back to his desk. He sat down, but the boys stood nervously in front of the desk. "Is everything alright? You two look pale."

"No," James fidgeted anxiously. "Everything isn't okay, I mean."

"On Saturday, Bellatrix Lestrange tortured Mia with the Cruciatus Curse for an hour, maybe two. She's been sleeping since," Remus stated bluntly. Fabian paled considerably, his eyes widening.

That small woman, that little and extremely powerful woman was… tortured? And he hadn't been told for days?

"Where is she?" he managed to choke out. "Is she in the infirmary?"

Remus shook his head, putting a calming hand on James's arm, who was fidgeting with his robes. "She asked us to take her to the Room of Requirement. Sirius, Regulus, Avery, and I have been taking turns healing her. Regulus helps the most, probably more than a healer would."

"And why didn't you tell me on Saturday? You _knew_ I was in the village… hell, you could've told my brother! Did Bellatrix get away?"

James winced at the question and shook his head slowly. "Sirius stunned her and put her in a full body bind. Mia… she said we couldn't because she still had a role to play."

"Fuck that!" Fabian yelled. He'd become close with Mia, and had treated her like a little sister. He was angry enough with the idea of her being tortured, but he was _furious_ with the thought that the bitch who hurt her had gotten away.

"We had more important things to attend to than Bellatrix," Remus spoke calmly. "Like making sure Mia wasn't _brain dead_."

"Take me to her," Fabian demanded hotly. "Right now."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The room was completely silent and had been since Fabian had entered. They'd made room for him to sit next to Mia's bed, and he had gently picked up her hand to hold it in his. He was tense as he watched her breathing quietly. She was family, and it made him sick to see her like this. He knew she'd be horrified to know so many people were watching her, but none of them could help it.

"Why'd you wait so long to tell me?" He asked in a devastated voice.

"We…" Sirius sighed, rubbing his face with his hands. "At first it was because we needed to get her stable. She was barely breathing. Then it was because we needed to clean her up. Then we all had our own little breakdowns. After that… it just slipped our minds that there was someone else that would want to know and could know. None of us have left this room until today. It's been providing us with anything we need as we need it. James commented about how she was skipping classes again, and Fred here tried to leave the room to tell you. That's when we decided."

"How… how bad was it?" He asked before he could stop himself. He wasn't sure he wanted to know, seeing her unconscious in bed like that.

Sirius took a deep breath, but it was Regulus who answered. "If they'd arrived two minutes later, she'd be dead."

"Fuck," Fabian muttered angrily.

"Language," they heard Mia whisper weakly. She squeezed his hand a little and attempted a smile, but it came out as more of a grimace. "I'm okay, love."

Sirius backed up nervously as Regulus moved swiftly to her side and took the hand Fabian wasn't holding. "Do you need more pain potion?" her boyfriend asked quietly.

"I'll hurt all of you if you try to make me swallow another potion, Regulus." She said firmly, and her boyfriend laughed gently, biting his cheek. Fabian was quiet, but he could see a few tears in the boy's eyes.

"No more potions for now, then. How are you feeling? Any better?"

"My body has had plenty of time to heal with Sirius shoving calming draughts and sleeping potions down my throat every time I so much as twitch," Mia said bitterly, trying and failing to sit up. She glanced around the room and grimaced again at the number of people staring at her. "What in the name of Merlin are all of you doing here?"

"Er- Mia, you're aware of your current… state, correct?" James asked gently.

"Yes, of course, I am, Jamie."

"Well, we've all been worried. When we brought you back, Remus sent a Patronus to Regulus, and Snape and Avery got here before him, for some reason. We just got Auror Prewett-"

"Call me Fabian-,"

"Before you woke up." James finished, ignoring the elder redhead.

"What day is it?" She said with a frown. She tried to sit up again and, with some grateful help from Regulus, managed to stay sitting up. Fabian frowned at the sight. She hated people helping her.

"Er… Monday, kitten." Sirius said, cringing.

"Monday? Why didn't you wake me up? We have classes!" She shrieked.

The room was silent for a few beats before Fred cracked up laughing. "Always the same, Granger. You even went to class after you were petrified. I remember finding you sneaking out of the infirmary. You _begged_ us not to tell anyone."

Mia pouted. "I missed weeks of classes! Of course, I wanted to go immediately! I even missed exams that year!"

"We all did, Mione. He canceled them because of muggleborns dropping like flies-"

"Don't be rude, Frederick," Mia said sternly.

"You were petrified?" Avery asked in alarm. Fred turned and seemed to realized that not everyone in the room knew her secret and flinched.

"Er, yeah. I, uh, got a spell wrong. It was awful." Mia lied badly. Avery seemed to know she was lying but didn't push it.

"No matter the case, I can bring you your schoolwork tomorrow," Fabian promised with a soft smile. She squeezed his hand again and returned the smile happily, albeit weakly. "If you're feeling better, that is."

"Oh, I'll be fine. I could probably even go to classes today-"

" _No_ ," everyone yelled at her. She blinked a few times before sighing.

"You're all overprotective. I love you dearly, but you are." She said with a small smile.

"Do you think you could do without me for a few minutes, pet? I've got something I need to take care of, and I'm going to collect a few books from your dorm for you." Fabian gave her a familiar smile and she nodded.

"I think I can manage. These fools probably won't leave me alone, anyway."

Fabian kissed her hand gently before leaving the room, his seething anger barely controlled.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"She nearly died!" He screamed again. He'd been in the Headmaster's office for twenty minutes now, fifteen of which had been spent either trading pleasantries or trying to calm down.

"I know, Fabian," Dumbledore said in the same soothing voice he'd been attempting since the younger man had entered the office. "But there's nothing we can do but nurse her back to health, which her friends seem to be doing well, and ensuring her safety from here on out."

"She's extremely headstrong, Sir, and prideful to boot." He tried again for a calm voice. "She hates being taken care of. But you should've seen her… She was just lying there. She let her boyfriend help her sit up because she couldn't do it alone."

"I'm aware of your friendship and unsealed familial bond, Fabian. I know she must mean a great deal to you, but I'm afraid there's just nothing else we can do for her," Dumbledore said passively.

"Really? She was attacked by Dolohov in these halls, sir! There's nothing you can do about that?"

"There was no evidence-"

"Like hell, there wasn't! She saved another student from being… attacked by him, and not two weeks later, someone tries to kill her! And that was _after_ she pissed him off when he tried to touch her. Not to mention the bruises he gave her at the Potter Ball. Doesn't that seem suspicious to you?"

"We also, regretfully, have no proof he was the one to attempt an attack on Miss MacDonald, and there's no proof he tried to hurt her. The Potter Ball is outside of our reach. Anything that happened there-,"

"Mia could provide the memory!" He argued. "Regulus Black could vouch for it, too!"

"Even so, the process of gathering the proof-"

"Bloody hell, Professor! She's been in danger at this school her entire life, future or present! Isn't that enough to warrant some sort of bodyguard at the very least?!"

"I'm terribly sorry, Mister Prewett-"

Fabian didn't hear the end of his sentence, because he'd growled darkly and stomped out of the office. Dumbledore's message was clear: he refused to intervene. Fabian tore through the castle, ignoring students as they questioned him or tried to talk to him. He stalked into Slytherin common rooms and accio'd multiple books from the girl's dorms before walking swiftly out, avoiding any questions thrown his way.

It didn't take him long to get back to the Room, but he spent a good fifteen minutes outside, calming his temper.

Dumbledore was a great wizard, but he was a severely flawed man.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Sano," Mia heard Avery say quietly. He was sitting beside her bed now. He'd waited until everyone else was asleep to move there, and Mia couldn't understand why.

"Hm."

"Why do you refuse being helped or taken care of?" His voice was gentle, but Mia flinched at the accusation. She considered the question before responding.

"I take care of people, not the other way around. I'm supposed to help them."

"You do help us, but sometimes you need help, too," he protested."

"No, love, I don't."

"Yes, you do. You'd be dead without help, Mia." His words were sharp and she bit her lip. She knew, as much as she hated it, that he was right. "I'm sorry. It's just… I care for you. You presented yourself as the physical embodiment of hope and then turned into the only family I've got left."

Mia reached out for his hand instead of responding. She didn't think there was much else to say.

"There's something you're all keeping from me," he stated. Her breath hitched painfully in her chest.

"It's one of those things," she sighed. "The secrets that I don't know if I can tell you."

"Do you not trust me?"

She shook her head. "Of course I do, it's just…" she sighed in frustration. How was she supposed to explain that she knew nothing of his future and that she didn't know how to risk it? "There's more to it. It's about the future, and Voldemort, and… too many people know my secret, I don't want to put you in danger, too."

"This secret puts you in danger?" he asked quietly. She nodded a little.

"Voldemort himself would kill me if he knew," she promised. Avery took a long, deep breath.

"I trust you, Sano." She gave him a small smile, but he wasn't done. "I have a… suspicion."

"Oh?"

"About you, I mean," he shifted in his seat. "I don't have much proof, but I don't believe I'm wrong."

"What is it?" Mia frowned, worried he'd somehow figured it out.

"I believe you're a Light Lady," he said nervously. She blinked.

"A _what_?"

"It's basically the opposite of a Dark Lord," he explained. "Dark Lords and Ladies, Light Lords and Ladies."

"What does that… mean?"

"Well, for one, people tend to flock to you," he explained. Mia saw Regulus shift in the bed next to her and knew he was awake and listening. "And they trust you. And you're… powerful. Remember when you told us about the bonding ritual you did with Sirius?" She nodded a little. "That was the first clue. That's a level of power that I've never seen before."

"I see."

"It's just something to keep in mind," he told her. "Light Ladies and Dark Lords are typically destined to fight each other in the end."

"You think Voldemort and I…?"

"It's possible," he shrugged. "But we can't be sure. Don't worry about it, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Goodnight, Sano."

"Night, Avery."

She watched as he stood and made his way to the other end of the room and found a bed. A moment later, she felt her bed shift and smiled at Regulus as he laid with her.

"What do you think?" She asked softly.

"I think he's right," Regulus admitted reluctantly. "Light Ladies usually spend a significant amount of their lives in danger, leading up to the beginning of their power."

"But I've never had people… flock to me, not until I came here," she argued.

"Yes, but I think coming here was when you reached the correct time," he explained. "There's never been a Light Lady to oppose Voldemort. Dumbledore was the best Light defense they've had until now."

"You're saying… I belong in this time, to fight him?" Regulus nodded. "But what about in the future? He dies, and then nothing happens. I grew up in that time, and I was only a target because of Harry."

"Voldemort died," he said slowly. "And he came back, but not to his true body. A new one was made for him. I believe that because he'd lost parts of his soul, his power clung to his body. When he lost that…"

"He lost that power?"

"Most likely. He'd still be powerful, but nowhere near a Dark Lord."

"So, in twenty years, he's no longer a dark lord, and I'm not a light lady because there's no dark lord to match me?"

"You _weren't_ ," Regulus corrected. "I think that when you go back now, you'd still be one because you've reached that point. You can't just… erase that power without the sort of thing Voldemort went through."

"But why could he exist without me?"

"Because Light Ladies are rare," he shrugged. "They don't appear nearly as often as dark lords do. There was no Light Lady to oppose Grindlewald. There were rumors of a witch who would've been, but she'd suppressed her magic and Dumbledore had to defeat him."

"The entire reason Dumbledore is so widely revered today," Mia agreed. "They think he's a Light Lord?"

"Some believe so," Regulus shrugged. "But it isn't true."

"But I am."

"Yes."

"Fuck."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **January 28th, 1977**

Mia flipped over, wincing lightly in pain. She had been released from the near-obsessive care of her friends the day before, and she had only been allowed back to classes by Dumbledore after Madame Pomfrey had looked her over and reluctantly admitted she was in good enough health, though she'd still need potions and checkups.

She pulled herself out of bed and made her way over to her trunk to rifle through it, staring at the one ring that was just a black band with a dot of gold inside of it. She didn't want to give the rings out until they were all finished, but it was driving her crazy, being unable to do anything.

Fabian had refused to see her for the spell until Regulus said she was in good enough health, and no amount of arguing had convinced him to change his mind.

Frustrated, Mia pulled on her robes and made her way silently and alone out of the castle to the boundary of the grounds, where she tapped her ring and whispered, " _Portus Potter_."

She stumbled a little as she was deposited on the steps of her house and rushed inside. She'd yet to set any in-depth wards on it like the fidelius, but she knew that as long as she was inside the house, she'd be safe.

She managed to fumble her way to the office and place herself at the desk before the trembling began, and she cursed loudly trying to calm her body. She had been fine before, and she didn't understand why she was suddenly _not_. It was as if her body hadn't healed at all.

"Sano?"

Her head shot up at the sound of the concerned voice and she managed a small smile. "Hello."

"Are you alright?" Rodolphus asked, frowning. "A few days ago, Bellatrix came home and she was… less than pleased. She said your name."

She nodded a little. "I'm fine. I had a small… encounter with her." She bit her lip. "I'll be fine."

Rodolphus sucked in a breath and she watched him look at her more critically. "Where is Black?"

"Asleep?" she guessed. "Or on his way here, angry. One or the other."

Rodolphus scowled. "You brought no one with you?"

She shrugged. "They're smothering me, Rodolphus. I needed air."

"Because you almost _died_ ," Regulus snapped, entering the room behind Rodolphus. He looked angry and tired, and Mia winced, regret filling her. He turned to the other Death Eater. "Don't let her pretend like this is no big deal. She'd be dead if we hadn't gotten to her immediately."

"Sano," Rodolphus stared at her, his eyes piercing. She frowned. Was she not allowed to decide who knew what? "What happened?"

"She was torturing the store owner," she defended hotly. "He could've died, and he wouldn't have been as lucky as me."

"How long were you under?"

"Nearly two hours," Regulus answered, moving to Mia's side as he saw her trembling. When he touched her neck lightly, the trembling stopped almost immediately, leaving only occasional wracks of pain.

"Merlin," Lestrange breathed. "Mia, you have to be more careful."

"I'm plenty careful," she argued. "But I will not let myself or others get hurt just because I'm _scared_." She stared at Regulus. "I've always refused, and I won't change that now that Bellatrix fucking tortured me again."

" _Again_?"

Mia paused. "Fuck."

"You wish you'd stayed at Hogwarts, don't you?" Regulus raised an eyebrow. She scowled at him, giving him plenty of confirmation.

"I can't keep doing this, Regulus!" Mia sighed, throwing her head back. "I can't tell every fucking person I meet!"

"Fred forced you to tell Sirius and his friends," Regulus reminded her gently. "As well as Fabian and Gideon, and I held you at wand point. You only willingly told Severus."

Mia glanced between her boyfriend and friend - because he had certainly become a friend - and rubbed her face hard before slipping her hand into her beaded bag and searching around. Eventually, she felt what she was looking for and pulled it out.

"Is that…?" Regulus frowned.

"The Veritiserum we brewed a couple of weeks ago," She nodded. She pulled it open and dripped two drops of the very strong potion onto her tongue. "My name is Mia Potter. It was Hermione Granger."

And the process began.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **February 2nd, 1977**

"That's two done!" Mia grinned, looking down at her rings.

"Good job, pet," Fabian smiled happily. She bit her lip and looked at the rings and then the boys in front of her. Fabian and Regulus were there with her, as always, and she picked two rings up and handed them over.

"Worst case," she said to Fabian. "Gideon has to hold onto your ring, but as long as I keep progressing as I have been, everything will be fine."

The boys silently slipped the rings on their fingers, and she felt herself relax at the sight.

Maybe they wouldn't all die, after all.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **February 4th, 1977**

"They're inseparable now," James commented quietly, watching Mia and Regulus across the room. They were in potions working quietly, but he'd noticed the level of attachment that had grown since Mia had been hurt. Sirius glanced away, very carefully avoiding his gaze.

"Well they always have been, haven't they?"

"Yeah, but it's different," he whispered. "I don't know. It's like they're one person now."

Sirius turned his back completely to his friend. "He's probably just feeling extra protective," he tried, avoiding James's gaze.

"Sirius?"

"Huh?"

"What happened?" he asked. Sirius could avoid, but he'd never been able to lie to James. The boy turned back to him, looking tired.

"It's… private. I was only there because someone had to be."

" _Sirius_."

"Fine!" He sighed, annoyed. "They had to finish their soul bond to help her heal. Her magic wouldn't let anyone but him do it."

" _They got married_?" James accidentally screeched, drawing the attention of everyone in the room, including the couple in question. He flushed under the attention as Slughorn shushed him and told everyone to go back to work. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Not _married_ ," Sirius rolled his eyes. "Just bonded. It was going to happen eventually, and it saved her life."

"Merlin," James whispered, staring at the backs of the couple, who were now whispering to each other furiously.

"She's gonna bloody kill me," Sirius muttered miserably. "I'm dead."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Sirius!" Mia called, her voice a little _too_ sweet. He turned nervously to face her, finding Regulus and Avery on either side of her. She looked fierce and intimidating, and he was perfectly willing to admit he was afraid of her.

"Mia love?"

"Who got married?" she asked in a tone that suggested they were talking about the weather.

"No one," he shook his head.

"Oh?" She raised an eyebrow. "So James wasn't coming to incorrect conclusions about Reg and I?"

Sirius shrugged helplessly. "I can't lie to him, Mia."

"You can't even tell him in a _private place_?"

Sirius paused. "Ah. Well, looking back, that might've been a better idea."

"Yes," she agreed, looking distinctly annoyed. "Possibly."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **February 7th, 1977**

Mia froze as a hand fell on her shoulder and twisted her around.

"Potter."

"What do you want, Dolohov?"

"I wanted to check on you," he smirked. "I heard about your accident with Bellatrix Lestrange. Horrible, isn't it?"

"I'm fine."

"To think, your first example of a _Crucio_ was so… _weak_."

Mia stiffened. "Excuse me?"

Dolohov raised his hand and pointed his wand at her. " _Crucio_!"

Mia's scream was cut off as the pain stopped short after barely ten minutes, though it left her shaking violently once more. She looked up in surprise, having fallen to the floor, to find a familiar face standing next to Dolohov, shoving his wand away.

"Leave her alone," Leon Gibbon snarled. "You don't know when to give up, do you?"

"She's _mine_ ," Dolohov argued hotly.

"Actually," a dark voice said. "I think you'll find _she's mine_."

News had, unfortunately, gotten out about the sealed soul bond and the need for the sealing. Mia sagged in relief at the sight of her boyfriend.

"Black," Dolohov sneered. "What are you doing here?"

"What are you doing trying to torture her?" he snapped, standing still at the door with his wand out. "Leave. Don't touch her again."

Dolohov looked between the two wizards and huffed, making his way angrily from the room. Regulus relaxed, pushing his way through the classroom and over to Mia, who had barely pulled herself into a sitting position. Before he reached her, though, Gibbon had dropped to his knees and was waving his wand over her.

"Voldemort banned him from torture," he told Mia quietly, moving out of the way before Regulus could push him. "He has no restraint. He just tries to kill immediately. It's the worst _crucio_ anyone has ever seen, even worse than Bellatrix."

"Why are you telling me this?" Mia asked weakly.

"Because he's trying to kill you," Gibbon explained as Regulus held her close, letting her magic feed off of him to heal her again.

"He already tried, he nearly cut me in half in the library," Mia argued.

"But he didn't," Gibbon pointed out. "Now, he really wants you dead. He's been talking about it in the dorms."

"Why are you telling me this?" she asked again, more firmly now. Gibbon looked between her and Regulus slowly.

"People are starting to notice," he told her softly. "And they didn't at first because you've got so many people covering for you, but it's getting harder to hide. It's obvious you're a Light Lady, Potter."

Mia sucked in a breath as Regulus stilled beneath her, having pulled her fully into his lap. "Excuse me?"

"Well, you've been collecting Death Eaters," he said like it was obvious. They stared at him and he sighed, waving his hand around. "I don't think anyone but me has noticed, if that helps."

"What do you want?" Regulus snapped, his nerves on end.

"Well," Gibbon frowned. "I want to help. I'm only a Death Eater because my mother was married off to my father, and he got really into the dark arts. My mother and I wanted to side with the Light, but my father offered me to Voldemort in return for sparing his life."

Mia's mouth opened and closed before she leaned back into Regulus's arms, closing her eyes. "Come talk to me in like… two days. I've just been tortured, I'm tired, and I'm losing count of my fucking death eaters."

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	12. The Vows

**February 11th, 1977**

"Mia? Can I talk to you?" James asked softly, sitting next to her in the library. She gave him a tired smile and nodded as Remus, who was on her side, closed his book and looked up.

"What's up, Jamie?"

"It's something Sirius said after Bellatrix," he said slowly. "He said… you'd been hurt before. By Bellatrix."

Mia sucked in a breath. "What?"

"He did," Remus agreed. "We didn't bring it up then, you know, more important issues, but…"

Mia sighed, leaning back in her seat. "I have been. About a week before Fred and I got here, Bellatrix caught me and tortured me for hours. We don't know how long exactly."

"Merlin," Remus whispered. James had gone pale.

"Why didn't you mention it? Were you already fully healed?"

She shrugged. "Not really. I was still pretty bad off, honestly. It just wasn't important, and I knew how to handle it, more or less."

"How long did it take to heal then?"

"Um… I haven't?" she winced as both boys immediately looked furious and shushed them quickly. "I had a healing bond with one of Fred's brothers, and it was cut when we came here. I wasn't sure what else to do aside from take potions, and then Bellatrix got me here, and now Dolohov…"

"Sirius had physical therapy," James pointed out. Mia screwed up her face.

"I'd rather not."

" _Why_?" Remus asked, frustrated. "If it makes you better, then-,"

"Because I don't need help," she snapped. "Now can we drop it?"

Remus shared a look with James but they fell silent, allowing her to get back to work.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **February 12th, 1977**

"I really think all three of you is unnecessary," Mia muttered as they walked.

"We're not taking the chance, Mia," Regulus repeated, holding her to his side as they walked.

"What chance?" she rolled her eyes. "We trust him, remember?"

" _You_ trust him," Avery corrected.

"Yes," she conceded. "But we have to learn to trust each other's opinions." She glanced at Severus. "You told me to trust Avery, and I trust you, so I did."

Avery raised an eyebrow at Severus but said nothing as the boy rolled his eyes.

"I'm just saying," she sighed. "He made an oath on his wand and magic. He's on our side."

"And if someone follows him?" Regulus pointed out. "What if someone gets into the house and kills you?"

She stared. "Well, then I suppose I'd be glad you're not there to put yourselves in danger."

"Mia!" Severus groaned. "Will you _please_ just relax and let us help you for once?"

Mia pouted.

"Thank you."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Take off your shirt!" Mia grinned.

Avery snorted. "You shouldn't enjoy that so much."

"I'll let you know when I stop," she winked as Rodolphus pulled his shirt over his head and allowed her to draw the runes and paw print. She winced slightly at the burning feeling on her own ribs as her nerves had been on end ever since Dolohov had crucio'd her. Gibbon had been right - he was worse than Bellatrix.

"Sano?"

"I'm fine," she sighed, sitting back into her chair.

"Dolohov was punished," Rodolphus told her. She froze, eyes wide. "He tortured some witch in a classroom, and he's been banned from torture." He looked at her with a frown. "What? What is it?"

" _Mia_ was the witch he tortured," Regulus explained slowly.

"Fuck." He looked her over. "How long?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

"No more than ten minutes, luckily," Regulus informed him. "I felt it immediately, and I got there and was about to stop it when Gibbon did it for me."

Rodolphus nodded. "That makes sense. He's always been pretty obviously against the Dark Lord."

"That reminds me," Mia sighed. "I told him I'd get back to him."

"You're gonna end this war just because he's not got anymore soldiers," Avery said, amused. Mia rolled her eyes, but she knew she'd collected more death eaters than she'd meant to.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"I was thinking," Mia whispered, drawing patterns softly on Regulus's side. "About the memories, when Fred and I leave, I mean."

"What do you mean?"

"Well… I don't know if it's entirely necessary to remove everyone's memories of us," she admitted. "I thought it was, but I think if maybe I just make everyone take Vows not to change anything and let them know what they need to know, then…"

"Do you really think that'd work?"

Mia thought about it. It wouldn't be a problem for James or Regulus or Avery, she was certain of that. And she'd been hesitant already to remove Remus's memories of her after the Vow he'd taken, so she thought he wouldn't be an issue, either. And then Sirius… he trusted her. His calmness might be crucial when he brought her back, and she felt like he'd be able to calm down for her. So while there might be issues with him, she thought it was possible.

Then, there was the issue of Severus and Rodolphus. Both of them had watched her be hurt, and both had sworn fealty. Still, she had done some research and she was almost completely certain that if they took Vows to do nothing in those instances, magic would rule in her favor and leave them be. So it was possible, at least for Rodolphus. As for Severus…

He'd been horrified when he learned how he'd treated her. Would he be able to do it? Would he be able to bully her relentlessly for six years?

"Perhaps we block Sev's memories… and I have an idea about Frank and Alice that I'd like to work on as well."

"We can tell Severus tomorrow."

She hummed thankfully and cuddled closer, taking in a deep breath and appreciating the comforting smell of him.

"Mia?"

"Yeah?"

Regulus paused, hesitant. "Have you ever been afraid of me?" Mia paused abruptly, like her body had been frozen completely.

"Yes."

She felt him move in shock and light his wand to look at her. "When?"

She shook her head slightly, uncomfortable with the conversation. "You know when I let Severus look into my mind to prove I'm from the future?" he nodded a little. "Well afterward, you were pissed, I'm sure you remember." He snorted at the understatement. "It's not like I thought you'd ever hurt me, and our soul bond prevents you from consciously doing harm to me, but…" she looked away from him, feeling an unreasonable guilt over the way she'd felt that day.

"The look in your eyes… I've never seen you so angry, especially not at me. You refused to let me look away from you and you held me so tightly… I don't know. It startled me, I guess. And then your mood flipped so aggressively and I…" she shook her head. "I've never experienced something like that. I trust you, I'll always trust you, it just scared me."

He stared at her silently for a long moment, looking in her worried eyes. He hadn't realized how she'd felt. He hadn't been so angry or worried before in his life and apparently, it had showed a little too much. He'd been furious with her for risking her mind in such a way. She hadn't known much about Occlumency, the culture around it, and he'd known that. Seeing her so recklessly invite someone else that didn't know enough about it into her mind had terrified him. She didn't seem to know exactly what could be done to one's mind, even accidentally, and he hadn't been able to find the words to explain it.

"There is a lot about Occlumency and Legilimency that you do not know," he told her slowly. "Terrible things can happen to a mind if you are not careful. There is reason that purebloods and some halfbloods are taught both at such a young age. There are countless laws about the use of both as well, but specifically Legilimency. You can destroy a mind much too easily if you are not careful, Mia. That is why I was so terrified. I regret, more than anything, the way I reacted. I… never wanted you to be afraid of me."

Mia shrugged a little, looking away. "I've seen the same look in Sirius before. The first time I met him. He wasn't going to hurt me then, either. It's just scary. You wouldn't let me look away and you were holding me so tightly… but I trust you, Regulus. I love you and I trust you."

"Are you still afraid of me?"

"No," she shook her head quietly. "But I don't doubt that something of the sort will happen again. You seem to think I'm reckless and sometimes, love, you refuse to let me make decisions for myself. I'm sure we'll run into a situation like that again. Next time, we'll talk about it sooner."

"I will _never_ hurt you," he whispered to her. She nodded and pressed her lips lightly to his.

"I know. I love you, Regulus."

"I love you too, Mia."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **February 16th, 1977**

"Severus," Mia smiled slightly, gaining his attention. He looked up at her, curious.

"Sano?"

"I've been thinking, and…" she bit her lip. "I'd rather not remove all the memories of Fred and I."

"I see."

"But that means some people would have to take Vows not to change anything, or to do things in certain ways," she explained slowly. Severus nodded a little. He understood.

"And you want me to promise to bully you and your friends for six years," he summarised. She winced but nodded. " _Mia_ ," he said, looking pained. "I truly don't know how I could do that."

"Yes, but-,"

"No, you don't understand," he interrupted. "You are my best friend. My family. And you want me to spend six years not only with you as my student, but also mistreating you?"

She nodded quietly. She knew it was a long shot, but she also knew it was something he could do. "Please, Severus."

He stared at her for a long moment. "Fine."

Her eyes lit up happily. "Really?"

"I will do it," he agreed. "But I am not happy."

"You can tell me all about it in twenty one years," she laughed, hugging him. He wrapped his arms around her and sighed. He'd do just about anything if she just asked, and they both knew it.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **February 18th, 1977**

"Mia, I just don't know if this is the best idea," Regulus frowned.

"Don't you trust him?"

" _Yes_ , but remember the last time?" he frowned, referring to when she told Severus.

"We'll tell him together," she promised.

"What about when he doesn't believe you?" Regulus raised an eyebrow. Mia smiled softly.

"Well, I figured we'd just use Veritiserum again."

"We don't _have_ -," he cut off abruptly as she raised her hand, a glass vial lying in her palm. He gave her a suspicious look. "Mia, we ran out."

"Yes," she agreed slowly. "And I put five galleons on the shelf."

"Did you-," Regulus took a deep breath. "Did you steal this from Slughorn?"

She shrugged.

"Mia!"

"The point is," she rolled her eyes as he looked at her, stressed. "We have it and he needs to know. I trust him, and I know he trusts me, but I just… have a feeling. It's important. Besides, someone's gonna let it slip someday, and we might as well get it over with."

Regulus couldn't argue that. Mia had spent some time telling him about her life before she'd arrived and he'd come to the conclusion that she'd brought along the person with the biggest mouth that she knew, possibly aside from Ron. "Fine."

"Good," she grinned, kissing his cheek. "He'll be here in half an hour."

Regulus groaned.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Sano?" Avery frowned, entering the room slowly. It was empty aside from Mia and Regulus, and they were sitting with Mia in his lap on a chair. Regulus's arms were wrapped tightly around her, and she had a small cup of water sitting on the table next to her, along with a half empty vial of… something.

"Avery," Mia smiled, waving him over. He placed himself in the chair across from them suspiciously.

"Is everything alright?"

"Of course," she promised. He glanced at Regulus for confirmation, and the boy nodded slowly. He was nervous. Regulus was only ever nervous when Mia's safety was at risk, and suddenly Avery was nervous as well. "I've just given a lot of thought to that secret of mine… I feel it's become more dangerous than not to leave you out, and I've always wanted to let you know, anyway."

"Oh?" he blinked. He understood why she refused to tell him, but now he understood Regulus's nerves more. Mia had said whatever she knew could get her killed.

"I'm going to drink this cup of water," she said. "It's got Veritiserum in it. You can have a sip and prove it if you'd like. I encourage it, actually."

Cautious, Avery picked up the cup and took a tiny sip, large enough for just one question.

"What is your name?" Mia asked softly. He felt the potion kick in and the urge to tell the truth overwhelmed him.

"Frederick Avery."

"Good!" She smiled. "I stole it from Slughorn, so I knew it'd work."

" _Mia_!" Avery stared.

"Let's start with this," she smiled, changing the subject after she drank the entire glass. "I know a lot about Voldemort. Likely more than anyone else. I know his family, his past, his future, and the worst things he's done with magic."

"How?" Avery frowned. Powerful as she was, she was still only a kid, like them. An adult soon, sure, but he had to assume she'd been protected before she got to Hogwarts. Right?

"I'll get to that," she smiled. "Let me tell you what I know first."

"Okay…"

"It's a lot," Regulus told him quietly. "By that I mean it's heavy, and dark."

Avery shifted, becoming vaguely irritated. "Alright."

"Voldemort was born as Tom Marvolo Riddle, you know that much," she said. He nodded, waving her on. That had been their first conversation, the way she'd convinced him of her powers within the light. "You also know that he was the heir of Slytherin. What I didn't tell you was that the Gaunt family had an artifact, the last belonging of Salazar Slytherin. It was a locket," she glanced at Regulus and Avery wondered at how he stiffened. "Tom took this when, after Hogwarts, he killed his grandfather and uncle. It was turned into a Horcrux."

Avery felt his breath leave him suddenly. Had he heard her right?

"This was… I don't know. Not that long ago. Maybe twenty years?" She frowned. "It's a little confusing, the timelines. Anyways, he applied to Hogwarts twice to become the DADA teacher. Both times, he was turned away. The second time, however, we believe he left one in the school."

"The locket?"

"No," Mia shook her head. "He… he made many of them." She paused as Avery processed the information. "We destroyed the locket, and his diary - made by the death of Moaning Myrtle - was destroyed by my friend, Harry, when we were twelve. He didn't realize what it was, of course, and he got lucky with the presence of the just killed Basilisk… Merlin knows he nearly died because of the bloody thing-,"

"The diary?"

She shook her head absently. "The basilisk. He stabbed it with a sword and one of its fangs lodged itself into his arm. He'd have died if Dumbledore's pet phoenix wasn't there to save him."

Avery stared, but Regulus poked her. "Off track, love. If you tell him everything you and Harry did, we'll be here for hours, and we don't have enough Veritiserum for that."

"Right," she nodded, shaking away the memories. "So the locket, the diary…" she paled, biting her lip, and Regulus picked up the story.

"They found another one, sort of," he sighed, rubbing her arms as she fought of some memory that was pulling her into a panic. "At least, it was heavily implied where it was, and they believe it to be Helga Hufflepuff's cup."

"Sano, are you alright?" Avery asked softly, leaning forward a little. She gave him a shaky smile though the truth potion forced the truth and she shook her head.

"It wasn't a great day for me," she tried to laugh, though it came out as more of a sob. "Had to relive it recently, so you'll excuse me if I'm a little… unsteady."

"What happened?"

She paused, taking in a long, deep breath. Regulus shook his head. "He doesn't need to know that."

"I trust him," she said softly before turning back to him. "That day, my friends and I were captured by special Death Eaters called Snatchers with the purpose of catching people who said Voldemort's name. It just slipped out, and I'm not even sure who said it, really. I disfigured Harry, who was who they really wanted, but they brought us all back to Malfoy Manor.

"They found something, the sword Harry used to kill the basilisk, in our things. Thing is, B-Bellatrix was certain she'd had it placed in her vaults, which meant we'd obviously been there, according to her, even though we hadn't. She got extremely upset at that and…"

"She tortured her," Regulus whispered. "For at least six hours, and…"

Mia shook her head, cutting him off as he turned pale and angry. "General torture. Cruciatus and some cursed blades, but I survived."

"Sirius said it had happened before," Avery whispered, looking at her in a very new light. She was stronger than they'd ever given her credit for.

"It's unimportant," she shook her head. "So we figured out that the next one was in her vaults and that one was at Hogwarts, and he's got a familiar that we're certain is a Horcrux, and we've got the sword, so the only problem is breaking into her vaults and then getting into Hogwarts without being killed on sight."

Avery started. "What? Why would they kill you? I'm sure if you told Dumbledore-,"

"Give me a moment," she smiled softly, though the pain lingered in her eyes. "I'm getting to that part. Anyway, I was… very bad off. We managed to escape with the help of a house elf, and I formed a healing bond with a friend." She sighed, looking annoyed and fingering something around her neck. "About a week later, my friend Ron's brother came to visit and give us information we needed and dinner that their mother sent. Well, I had stolen a time turner," she said, waving her hand at her neck and revealing an hourglass filled with unnaturally still sands inside, which were glowing. "Not this one, but a time turner all the same. When we were at Malfoy Manor, I'd fallen," she breathed out roughly.

"And it cracked, though I was unaware of this. And the sands of time are _extremely_ unstable, so when a miniscule explosion touched the broken glass, the entire thing exploded _badly_. I had glass in my chest," she tilted her head to the side. "I think I've got a scar or two from it, actually. But Ron's brother, Fred, was touching my arm to duck away from the lost game, and so when I was thrown through time he came with me."

Avery's mouth fell open in shock, unsure he heard her correctly. "What?"

She nodded. "It was extremely unsettling. We landed outside of Hogwarts, in the forbidden forest. I thought we were going to be captured and killed, but instead James, Remus, and Sirius found us and took us inside. I went to Madame Pomfrey, and James went to let Dumbledore know what happened, at least from his point of view. We were placed with the Potters, thank god, and sorted," she frowned. "I was Gryffindor last time. I was rather upset to find myself in Slytherin."

"Sano, are you serious?"

"Completely."

"She is," Regulus promised. "She's telling the truth."

"I have to," she shrugged. "The potion."

Avery stared for a long moment, thinking. "When… are you from?"

"I was in 1998 when my time turner blew up," she answered.

"The war… it's still…?"

She sighed. "It ended for thirteen years, Avery. A little longer, actually, before the war itself began again."

"What happened?"

"In 1981, Voldemort found Harry," she sighed. "He's James's son, James and Lily's. They were under a Fidelius, but P-Pettigrew," she stuttered, swearing loudly. "Fuck! I didn't mean to- you can't tell anyone-,"

"Relax, Sano," Regulus sighed warily. "We already know. I'd been going to talk to you about it soon, anyway."

"Fuck," she growled. She shook her head and turned back to the issue at hand. "He was the Secret Keeper. It had been Sirius, but he knew that was too obvious so he traded with Pettigrew. And he gave Voldemort the Potters. Voldemort came and he killed James," she said, looking so pained that Avery regretted asking. "And Lily sacrificed herself to save Harry with some old blood magic. He tried to kill Harry, but it rebounded and hit him instead. He didn't die because of the Horcruxes, but he lost his physical body."

"How did he survive that?" Avery stared. "You can't-,"

"It was Lily's sacrifice," Mia explained tiredly. "The power of love, I'm sure Dumbledore would say, but it was really just old blood magic based on a mother's sacrifice."

"I thought you said you weren't sure?" Regulus frowned. They'd spoken about it nearly two weeks ago, and she'd been uncertain. She gave him a small shrug.

"I've done some reading."

"That was just two weeks ago!"

"I did some reading and then made sure to give the book to Lily," Mia expanded, eyebrow raised. Regulus paused.

"Oh."

"Anyway," Mia shook her head. "Her sacrifice saved Harry again in his first year when Voldemort possessed our DADA teacher and tried to kill him. Still, Voldemort wasn't dead. He kinda… floated around, I guess, until after our third year when Pettigrew managed to find him. Some rather dramatic things happened, and at the end of our fourth year, they managed to kidnap Harry to use his blood in a ritual to bring Voldemort back."

"What ritual?" Avery asked. Mia blinked. She'd asked Harry, and he'd told her what he remembered, but she wasn't sure exactly which one.

"'Bone of the father, unknowingly given, you will renew your son. Flesh of the servant, willingly given, you will revive your master. Blood of the enemy, forcibly taken, you will resurrect your foe.'"

Both boys stared at her darkly, Regulus shifting to look more closely at her. "Mia, are you sure?"

"That's what Harry told me," she shrugged. "It's not like he was raised in the wizarding world, so he couldn't have gotten it somewhere else."

"Bloody hell," Avery muttered, rubbing his forehead. "How did your friend live through that?"

Mia blinked. "They only cut his arm for it. Besides, Voldemort is obsessed with being the one to personally kill Harry. It gives him a bit of a safety net at school and even during this war."

Avery shifted closer, his hands on his knees as his mind raced. "That ritual calls for _all_ of the blood of an enemy. If he didn't take all of it, he's likely very weak. I'd guess the only thing holding him together are his horcruxes."

Mia stared. "Are you serious?"

"Very," he nodded. "I'm sure I can find you the book when I get home and bring it to you."

"I can probably get Dumbledore to allow us out of the school, if it's for the war effort," she replied before shaking herself a little. "The Veritiserum is wearing off."

"Is there anything else?" he asked nervously. She seemed to consider him for a moment.

"The war didn't start until the end of my fifth year, really," she shrugged. "That's basically when the public accepted that Voldemort was back."

"What took them so long?"

"Fudge," she rolled her eyes. "But he arrived at the ministry while Harry fought Voldemort with multiple other people and since not only he had seen it but just about every important department head and some aurors saw it, he couldn't deny it anymore," she sighed. "He was replaced. And… the next year, Dumbledore died."

Avery was taken aback. Logically everyone understood that Dumbledore was as human as everyone else, but even to Death Eaters, he seemed… untouchable. Immortal.

"He died, and that's really when it began. Sure, things were bad our sixth year, but with the Chief of the Wizengamot, Grand Sorcerer, and Supreme Mugwump dead, the Light lost a lot of standing. The ministry was taken by mid summer, and me, Harry, and our friend Ron all went on the run to find the horcruxes and avoid being arrested."

"Merlin."

"Yeah."

Avery took a few minutes to process, and the couple let him, relaxing back into each other and the chair as Regulus asked if she was okay and she did the same. Her story was a rough one, and hearing about her being hurt had obviously upset Regulus greatly.

"You said you knew Sirius in the future," he began. "Anyone else?"

Mia considered the question. The Veritiserum had worn off by the time she got to Dumbledore's death, but it was really just for proof anyway. "I knew Sirius, and Remus taught DADA in my third year," she smiled softly. "Best teacher we had. I stayed in touch, and he kept in touch with Harry of course, so he was around plenty. I knew Emmaline, too. She's in the Order. Regulus…" she bit her lip. "I'd heard of. Sirius hated talking about him, and we only heard that he was a Death Eater." She leaned back to kiss the boy's ear. It seemed like something he knew but didn't like, and Avery prepared himself. "But when Dumbledore died, the night he died, he and Harry had gone to a cave to retrieve a horcrux," she admitted. "They found a copy instead, with a note basically saying 'fuck you' to Voldemort. It was signed R.A.B."

"Regulus Artcurus Black," Regulus filled in, though Avery didn't need it.

"What… happened?"

Mia sighed, pushing her hair from her face. "As far as we can tell, when we didn't know I'd be taking a trip to the past, we figured he realized what the locket was and made a copy, left the note, and tried to leave." She shook her head. "Harry told us about the cave. It's… bad. There's basically this torture potion you have to drink that shows you your worst fears," she shook her head. "It also makes you desperate for water, and you're surrounded by water. But if you dip your cup into it…"

"What?" Regulus asked, frowning. Apparently, she hadn't explained in this much detail. "Mia, what?"

"Inferi," she muttered. "Pull you in."

Avery was silent, and so was Regulus.

"We figured they'd killed you," she admitted. "They nearly got Harry, but Dumbledore saved him in time."

"So… don't drink the gross murdering water," he sighed. "Got it."

"Regulus!" Mia snapped, slapping his chest lightly. "This isn't a joke."

"I'm not joking!" He snapped back. "You're telling me about my death, Mia, what the fuck do you want me to say?"

Avery shifted uncomfortably. The two bickered constantly, but he'd never been in the room with them before when they were really, truly upset with each other. Mia glanced down at her hands.

"Severus is my potions professor," she muttered, changing the topic. Regulus let her, leaning back and breathing in and out deeply.

"You said your potions professor bullied every child he met and made fun of you for six years."

"Yep."

"You're saying _that's_ Severus."

"Yeah."

"I can't believe that."

Mia snorted. "You can believe that I'm from the future but not that Severus is a little cranky?"

"Yes."

She wrinkled up her nose. "I had to ask him to do it, Avery. He's already done it, so it has to happen."

"Is that how time really works?" Avery asked with a frown. Mia nodded tiredly.

"Whatever has already happened _has_ to happen."

"This is exhausting," Avery told her, and she nodded.

"Yep."

"Did he really agree to treat you like shit for six years?" Avery sighed. He couldn't imagine his friend doing it, and aside from that, it actually upset him to imagine his friend doing it.

"I made him," she shrugged. "It has to happen, Avery."

"That's… horrible."

"Yep."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **February 19th, 1977**

"Okay," Mia smiled, looking at her gathered friends. "You're all here for a specific reason. You all know my secret."

The group around her nodded. The Marauders sans Peter, Fabian and Gideon, Severus, Regulus, Avery, and Rodolphus had gathered in the Potter house in the large living room. There were snacks scattered throughout the room and drinks had been passed out by a house elf. It was a Saturday and she wanted to get this all over with as quickly as possible.

"Originally, Fred and I had been going to hide your memories of us," she explained. "But I've decided that's a shit idea."

"That's because it is," James told her, making a face. She nodded firmly. She was in a good mood that no one could rid her of.

"So we've decided to come up with another plan-,"

" _Mione_ has decided," Fred rolled his eyes. "Don't pretend like I was a part of this before yesterday."

Mia blushed but ignored him. "So, we give you an option. Take an Unbreakable Vow to uphold the future and remember us, or you can forget us until we see you again." She paused. "Each Vow will be done in private as they're specific to each person and their futures." She frowned. "Some of you will have simpler Vows than others, but don't worry about that. It's simply because we don't interact much or at all in the future."

The group talked amongst themselves for a minute before Remus spoke up. "Well I can't very well forget, can I?" Everyone looked at him, confused. "I've already taken a Vow."

Mia's eyes widened. "Oh, _fuck_."

Fred looked at her, deadpan. "Did you honestly forget? It was your idea!"

Mia blushed. "I've been busy."

"Well," Fabian began.

"Count us in," Gideon continued.

"We'd like our memories intact, thank you," Fabian finished, winking at her. Mia grinned brightly as they each kissed one of her cheeks.

"Me as well," Rodolphus frowned. "Though I believe I already know what my Vow includes, yes?" Mia nodded, and he sighed, resigned and stiff.

"Me, too," James smiled.

"And me," Sirius winked. "Can't go forgetting you, can I, kitten?"

"I'd like to remember," Avery sighed.

Already having spoken to Severus, Mia smiled. She was fairly certain she'd be unable to remove Regulus's memories of her after they'd been bonded so she hadn't even considered him. "Let's get to work!"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Fabian and Gideon were first, and fairly simple. They promised not to speak of her or adult Fred with anyone except those that were present, Lily, and Dumbledore and promised to only use their rings when they needed to.

After them, James walked in, and she bit her lip. He gave her a small smile and grabbed her hand.

"This is going to be about… that night, isn't it?" She nodded. "It's okay."

Regulus placed his wand above them as Mia and James grabbed each other's forearms and began. "Do you, James Charlus Potter, promise to use your ring to go to the future when Voldemort finds you and your family in your home?"

"I do," James whispered. He still seemed reluctant, but she had a feeling he wouldn't break his promise.

"Do you promise to keep the secrets told to you about the future over the time Mia and Fred are here?"

"I do."

"Do you promise not to speak of Mia and Fred after they leave and until they get back to April 19th, 1998 except to those present tonight, your parents, Lily, and Dumbledore?"

"I do."

Mia sighed in relief as the flames fell into their arms as the Vow accepted his promise.

Next up was Sirius.

"Do you, Sirius Orion Black, promise to not avoid your death at the Department of Mysteries?"

Mia shivered.

"I do."

"Do you promise to maintain the future that's been told to you over the time Mia and Fred have been here?"

"I do."

"Do you promise not to speak of Mia and Fred after they leave and until they get back to April 19th, 1998 except to those present tonight, your parents, Lily, and Dumbledore?"

"I do."

And then came Severus.

"Do you, Severus Snape, promise to treat Hermione Granger and the other students poorly for the six years she's at Hogwarts as your student?"

"I- I do."

"Do you promise not to act when you see her hurt in her time as your student or Hermione Granger?"

"I do."

"Do you promise not to speak of Mia and Fred after they leave and until they get back to April 19th, 1998 except to those present tonight, Charlus and Dorea Potter, Lily, and Dumbledore?"

"I do."

Mia was unsure of Avery's Vow since she didn't know him in the future, so what he got was short and to the point.

"Do you, Frederick Avery, promise not to speak of Mia and Fred after they leave and until they get back to April 19th, 1998 except to those present tonight, Charlus and Dorea Potter, Lily Evans, and Dumbledore?"

"I do."

Remus only needed a short Vow to add onto his earlier one, so he went quickly as well.

"Do you, Remus Jacob Lupin, promise to maintain the future that's been told to you over the time Mia and Fred have been here?"

"I do."

"Do you promise not to speak of Mia and Fred after they leave and until they get back to April 19th, 1998 except to those present tonight, Lily, and Dumbledore?"

"I do."

Finally, they reached Rodolphus, the last person. Mia was sitting on her desk now, as they'd been doing the Vows in her office. She bit her lip. This was the one she was looking forward to the least.

"Do you, Rodolphus Lestrange, promise to watch Hermione Granger be tortured by Bellatrix Lestrange in 1998 and do nothing?"

There was a long moment of hesitation. "I do."

"Do you promise not to speak of Mia and Fred after they leave and until they get back to April 19th, 1998 except to those present tonight, Charlus and Dorea Potter, Lily Evans, and Dumbledore?"

"I do."

Mia pulled away as the last tingling strands of fire fell into her arm, burning into her like new veins in her body. Letting out a sigh, she felt herself relax a little.

She didn't have to wipe her friends' memories.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **March 1st, 1977**

Mia placed her wand back in the holster, looking at her handiwork. "I'm getting better at this."

"It's practice," Regulus told her as Gibbon put his shirt back on.

"It's fun," she corrected, winking. "Lift your shirt up, maybe you need a touch up."

Gibbon looked at Severus. "Do they always do this?"

" _Always_ ," Avery rolled his eyes. "Get used to it."

"Lovely."

Mia pecked Regulus's cheek and pushed herself into his side as he wrapped an arm around her gently before looking at the three boys in front of her. "I spoke with Dumbledore."

"Oh?"

She nodded. "It seems that after the war, the ministry will likely seize the property of known Death Eaters," she explained. "And their vaults for reparations. But I talked with him about it and he's set aside a place for each of you, including Rodolphus, though his wife will have to stay with a friend or, better yet, in Azkaban. He's also set aside a small amount of money so that when the war _does_ end, you'll be fine while he or I prove to them that you're on our side."

"He doesn't need to-,"

"He knows that," she rolled her eyes, waving a hand in front of her impatiently. "He said to think of it as payment for your services."

"Are you sure he's not a Slytherin?"

Mia snorted. "I don't think he _deserves_ Slytherin, disgusting cun-,"

" _Mia_ ," Regulus interrupted. She scowled.

"Sorry."

"What's got you so upset with him?" Avery chuckled visibly while the others tried to contain their amusement.

"He's just… so manipulative," she spat at no one in particular. "I didn't see it at first, but it's _disgusting_. He'd use a _child_ as canon fodder and just…" she huffed. "He's useful politically, but he's a deeply flawed and disgusting human." She felt Regulus rub her arm slowly and took a deep breath to calm herself before speaking again, choosing to ignore the amusement clearly written on her friends' faces. "I have some unresolved issues with him."

"Really?" Severus snorted. "We hadn't noticed."

Mia made a face at him and turned on her heel, nearly knocking Regulus over, and moved into the small library of the Room of Requirement to get away from the boys who were now openly laughing at her.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **March 3rd, 1977**

"How are you doing?" Fred asked, placing himself next to her.

"Fine," she shrugged. "I meant to check on you. I know we haven't really… talked much while we've been here."

He gave her a small smile. "Stop feeling guilty. I'm having fun. It's like… almost like having George here, these guys. Pranking makes me feel better."

"So _that's_ why you've been pranking every day for the last week," she laughed.

"No, we've actually got a bet," he chuckled, leaning back into the hard chair. "To see who can do the most pranks without getting detention. Pete's already out, and Sirius nearly got caught yesterday."

"That's ridiculous," Mia laughed brightly. "What happens if it goes on so long that you run out of ideas?"

"Ah," he nodded once. "See, that's why we all wrote down a long list of ideas. We can use any of them, we just have to mark it off if we're planning it."

"So it's not about creativity, but getting caught?" Mia scoffed as he nodded. They were quiet for a long moment before she spoke again. "I've got two rings done."

"How many does that leave?"

"Five."

"When do you think we can go?"

Mia paused. "I don't know. Maybe six months. Maybe less."

"You don't want to leave."

"No."

Fred rubbed her arm in support before he leaned in and spoke softer since they were in the library. "It's hard for me, too. I see why they were so… surprised. About Pete, I mean. He's so sweet. I know you avoid him completely, but he's just… just a kid, just nice."

"He gets Lily killed," Mia reminded him gently. "Sirius goes to prison for twelve years. James… hopefully he makes it. But it's his fault that Harry grew up with the Dursley's. I just… can't forget that."

"I know."

"Reg said that he's… already there. Already coming to meetings."

Fred froze. "Really?"

Mia nodded. "I wasn't sure if I should tell you, I just…"

"No, I- I'm glad," he sighed, rubbing his face. "It's just hard to relate Peter to Wormtail… like that."

"I know."

"It sucks."

"I'm sorry."

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	13. BDSM

March 4th, 1977

"So, I brought you all here because there's a few useful spells and charms I really think you should learn," Mia explained slowly. She'd brought everyone, including the Marauders, her Slytherins, Lily, Mary, Alice, Frank, Emmaline, and Marlene. She'd even invited Fabian and Gideon to help her and possibly learn something, too. "As well as combinations that are unexpected, or that'll make casting easier, and make it harder for your opponent to understand what you've shot at them."

"If you're here, doing this, then why are Professor Prewett and Professor Prewett Part Two here?" Marlene asked, bemused. Mia turned to the men standing on either side of her before looking back at her friends.

"Because I might know something they don't, and they know things I don't," she explained. "They're aurors. They've got training, believe it or not."

"How despicable, training aurors," Mary laughed. "What's next, training the mediwitches? Horrible!"

Mia chuckled as Marlene bumped shoulders with her friend, laughing. "Last time I did this, it was smaller and I taught the muggle repelling charm-,"

"How do you know that?" Emmaline wondered curiously. Mia paused.

"If you ask me that for every spell I shouldn't know, you'd be here quizzing me all day, and you wouldn't get any answers," she promised. "So try and trust me that I know what I'm doing?"

"You either know what you're doing or you're absolutely insane," Lily commented with a wink. "I saw you threaten Lady Black at the Ball on New Years Eve."

Half of them stared at her like she was insane while the rest of her friends just looked exhausted by the reminder.

"She called me a blood traitor," Mia wrinkled her nose. "At my own family's party. I told her I took offense and she could either duel me, an unknown, or go home and darken her House a little more until I can clean it up."

"Because you're gonna marry Regulus," Alice grinned. Mia threw her head back.

"Are you all children?" She paused as she said it and realized that yes, they were. "We're not engaged. He is courting me. It is a betrothal piece. And I'm here to teach you to defend yourself, not gossip."

The girls shared a knowing look but quieted as Mia brought herself back to her plans.

"Right," she sighed. "So, the first thing I want to show you is one of my personal favorites. It has the advantage of being completely unexpected, so that helps immensely. The target will feel safe." She glanced at Gideon and grinned. "Shield up, please, Gid." He did as he asked, and she raised her wand. "Avis!" A small flock of birds erupted from her wand, and she smiled softly at them before glancing back at Gideon. "Oppugno!"

And then, suddenly, the birds dove aggressively at Gideon, slamming into the shield and turning into only a few feathers falling to the ground. She watched her friend take down his shield and stare at her and grinned.

"What the fuck?" James laughed, staring. The rest of her friends were doing the same, and she turned to laugh with them.

"Let's just say, I created that interesting combination when a boy made me cry," she wrinkled up her nose. She couldn't believe she'd ever cried over Ron Weasley. "Unfortunately, I missed him. He ran."

"Smart kid," Fabian chuckled. She did as well, though only because it was his nephew she'd been aiming for.

"I assume you all know Avis?" She asked. There were nods around the room and she smiled. "Let's get to work on Oppugno, then."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Two hours later and the entire group had been pelted with birds at least once, including their teachers. Mia dropped some dittany on Regulus's cheek and grinned happily. "Remind you of anything?"

"Do you mean how you forcefully healed me and then I shoved you into a wall?" He asked, raising an eyebrow. "Yeah, I think I remember."

She winked cheekily. "You know, I don't think I minded that shove."

His eyes turned dark as she lowered her hand, his cheek all healed. "Are you saying you'd like me to be… rougher?"

She swallowed, staring at him with wide eyes. She couldn't respond, as much as she desperately wanted to.

"I can do that," he breathed into her ear as he stood, plucking the bottle of dittany from her hands and moving away, leaving her sitting very still with very wide eyes.

"You okay there, Mia?" Alice asked, staring. She jumped, blinking.

"Yep!" She squeaked out, standing and rushing away. She found Regulus standing with Marlene and frowned, pushing herself over to him. She smiled vaguely at her friend before turning back to her boyfriend and whispering furiously. "You can't do that!"

"Do what?" he asked innocently.

"You know what you did," she said, trying not to pout. "You can't just… say things… like that, and run away!"

"Okay," Marlene laughed. "I know sexual tension when I see it. I'm gonna go be… literally anywhere else. Have fun."

Mia blushed lightly but felt her breath sucked out of her as Regulus pushed her into a dark corner of the room, cut off by the bookcases and dummies in front of it. He pushed her until her back was against the wall and she felt her breath hitch as he moved close, his face inches from hers.

"I can, in fact, do that," he whispered, his voice dark and quiet. "Is there a reason I can't?"

Mia paused, suddenly unsure. They hadn't had sex since the first time, at the ball, and that had been all desperation to be close and slow love. What she'd been feeling building since then was different. It was desperation, sure, but not to be close in the same way as before. It was itching to feel that again. And now here he was, all dark and quiet and offering her exactly what she wanted - roughness - and she had no clue how to respond.

"I like this," he informed her quietly. "I like seeing you so flushed and unsure, and I like knowing it's because of me."

"Regulus," she whispered, unable to think of anything else. She gasped as he pressed himself against her hard and felt his hands on her wrists, holding them loosely but holding them against the wall all the same.

"You like this, Little Lion," he chuckled deep in his throat and she shifted at the warmth in her stomach as it dropped lower into her. "And so do I."

Whimpering quietly, Mia lifted herself up to reach his lips, but he pulled away, stepping back from her. "I think we've got some more training to do, love."

And then, to her complete and utter frustration, he left her there, walking silently back into the room with their friends.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Remus closed his eyes tightly and willed the memory to leave his head forever. He shook his head, even slapped it a few times before Sirius grabbed his hand to stop him.

"Moony, what the fuck?"

He just made a face, groaning as the sound of Mia whimpering came back to him. "I fucking hate my hearing, I hate my smell, I wanna fucking kill myself."

"Merlin," Sirius laughed. "What happened?"

"Mia," he groaned, his nose twitching uncomfortably. "Was back there with Regulus."

Sirius burst into laughter as he understood. "Remus, are you telling me you heard them fucking?"

"No!" He paled. "They were just… I don't know. It was like foreplay, I guess. He was messing with her, and then he left."

Sirius paused. "Are you telling me he didn't stay to… please her?"

Remus winced again, horrified. "Sirius, they didn't-,"

"Regulus!" Sirius yelled. The boy turned and blinked from across the room as Mia walked out of the small room behind them. Remus shook his head at her, trying to get her to go back inside, but she just moved next to Sirius in confusion. "Why didn't you please Mia?"

Mia's eyes widened as she looked between her boyfriend and then Remus and Sirius. Her eyes turned gold - something many people in the room had never seen before - and she pulled her hand up, though Remus managed to grab it before she could hex him. She didn't care, turning still on Sirius. "Sirius!"

"Mia!" He blinked, finally realizing she was there. "Did he leave you unsatisfied?"

"Sirius Orion Black," Mia growled. "If you say another word I will hex you until you can't see!"

"Mia?" Regulus said, moving over. "Did you-,"

"No!" She glared. "Of course not. It's because Remus has bloody good hearing!"

"Actually," he winced. "It's the smell."

All color drained from Mia's face as she looked at the three boys around her and tore her hand from Remus's grip. "If I see any of you in the next two hours, I will hex you," she swore, stomping from the room, leaving behind three terrified wizards and a large group of disgusted and amused people.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"So, did you and Regulus have sex?"

"No!" Mia huffed. "Not today, at least. It's just because he was trying to tease me and Remus… overheard."

"Yeah, cause he's a werewolf," Emmaline nodded. Mia turned to look at her sharply and she rolled her eyes. "We figured it out in our third year and we haven't said anything."

"So you and Regulus didn't have sex," Marlene frowned. "Then what was that about?"

"I don't know," Mia sighed, throwing her head back onto her bed. "Remus must've said something to Sirius, and there must've been some sort of miscommunication."

"Regulus was pissed," Emmaline told her, chuckling. "You didn't hex Sirius but he sure did."

"He did?" Mia's eyes widened. Emmaline nodded and she sighed. "I'm just… upset. Reg and I haven't exactly had sex since our first time, at the ball, and he was being all… I don't know. Aggressive?"

"You like it rough," Marlene accused, laughter in her eyes. Mia shrugged.

"I don't know yet," she pouted. "But I think so, if what Reg did today was any indication."

"What did he do?"

"He shoved me into a wall, held me there, kinda teased me," Mia confided. The thought crossed her mind that she was having the same conversations with them that Parvati and Lavender always had which always annoyed her so much, but she'd come to appreciate the need to talk about boys, mostly because now she had one she cared about in that way.

"Oh, so like BDSM," Emmaline nodded.

"Like what?"

Marlene stared at her for a long moment. "You're serious, aren't you?" Mia nodded and the girls sighed.

"BDSM means a few things, and some of the letters overlap," Marlene said slowly. "Bondage and discipline, dominance and submission, and sadism and masochism."

"Okay…" Mia blinked. "So… explain all of that."

"Bondage is fairly obvious," Marlene shrugged. "Ties you up or generally restrains you. Discipline is like… well, there's lots of different kinds, and they usually overlap with your other interests so let's get back to that later. Dominance and submission is easy. Who takes control and who submits."

"Can't someone do both?" Mia frowned.

"That's called a switch," Emmaline added in. "You seem like a sub, though."

"Maybe."

"And sadism is when you like to cause pain, and masochism is when you like to feel pain," Marlene finished.

"So you think I'm a sub, and I think I agree. Reg would definitely be a dominant though."

"A dom," Marlene nodded. "Probably."

"Bondage sounds fun," Mia grinned.

"There's also other parts of the community, though some just fall under fun ways to have sex more than BDSM," Emmaline added. "I personally like sensory deprivation."

"What?" Mia frowned in confusion.

"So basically, you get tied up - hands and feet at least - and put on a blindfold and turn on loud music, or the person silences themselves. It's incredible, and everything feels so… intense."

"Merlin," Mia breathed. "There's a lot to this."

"I suggest you guys go slow," Marlene told her gently. "Start with the dom/sub thing, and then move onto bondage, or maybe both at the same time. Still, don't go too far if you're uncomfortable and always be sure to have safe words."

"Safe words?"

"A word you can use when you need to stop," Emmaline explained. "There's the green, yellow, red system that a muggleborn witch taught me."

Mia blinked, understanding the reference. "Go, slow, stop?"

"Exactly," she nodded.

"This is… a lot."

"Yep," Marlene agreed. "But take it slow and make sure to communicate what makes you uncomfortable or what you don't like. That goes for regular sex, too. Communication is the most important part."

"Thank you," Mia smiled.

"Anytime," Marlene grinned. "I love talking about sex. In fact, I'm a bit offended you never told us about your first time with Regulus."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The girls had returned to the room soon after and the mismatched group had practiced for another three hours.

"Carpe Retractum!" Lily yelled, pulling James forward. Then, as he was off balance, "Stupefy!"

Mia grinned brightly at the redhead. "Brilliant!"

"Thank you," Lily blushed, cancelling the charm and helping her boyfriend to his feet.

"That could also be extremely useful," Mia pointed out to everyone. "It doesn't have to be a stunner. What else could we use?"

"Confrigo," Sirius suggested. Mia nodded firmly, though everyone else in the room - barring the aurors and Regulus - looked horrified.

"That could kill someone," Alice whispered. Mia turned to look at the group in front of her with a frown.

"Not everyone has to fight in this war," she began, pulling away from everyone so they could look at her easier. "But knowing my friends, on one side or another, you will."

"Yes, but-,"

"And I understand that you're children," Mia emphasized darkly. "But soon you'll come to realize that this war will not be won by stunning and disarming, or even lightly hexing."

"But killing," Mary said softly. "That's…"

"Death," Mia agreed. "A death you'll have caused. But it's either that, or they hurt someone else, or multiple someones. War is not clean, and no one involved in it will be, either. I hope you all can understand that sooner rather than later."

"Don't you think you're being a little… dramatic?" Frank asked, looking worried.

"No," Sirius told his friend. "She's not. I've seen my family on the other side of this war, and she's right. They'll kill you, us, in the blink of an eye and with no regret. You have to be prepared to protect yourself and the people you love."

The room fell silent, and Mia glanced around awkwardly. "Okay… I think we'll wrap up here today, yeah? Let's come back again next week, same day, and we can work on it again if that's alright with everyone."

There were murmured agreements as most people filtered out of the room, leaving only Mia, Fabian and Gideon, Regulus, Avery, and Sirius.

Everyone gathered around Mia, talking quietly, as she reached into her bag, ignoring them to dig around. It took her awhile, but eventually she found what she was looking for. She pulled out a small pile of pictures, settling them onto her lap to look at.

"What's that, Kit?" Gideon asked, glancing over her shoulder. She picked up the one on top and showed it to him.

There were lots of people, some smiling, some not. She recognized most of them either from her time in the future or in the past, though some she didn't know at all.

"Merlin," he gasped, staring. "Is this-,"

"The future," she finished, nodding. "The Room of Requirement seems to sort of… exist outside of time. I requested the room I'd memorised from our time in fifth year, and the pictures that had been on the mirror showed up. I grabbed them before anyone could see."

"Merlin," Sirius breathed, looking over from his spot to her right. "When is this taken?"

"I'm not sure, exactly," she admitted. "You gave this to Harry before our fifth year, I think."

All in all, the picture held Fabian and Gideon, Lily and James, Pettigrew, Sirius, Remus, Frank and Alice, Marlene, Emmaline, Dumbledore, Hagrid, Dorcas Meadowes, Edgar Bones, Hestia Jones, Elphias Dodge, Kingsley Shacklebolt, Alastor Moody, and finally, Arabella Figg.

"This isn't even everyone," Fabian whispered.

"I don't imagine it would be," Mia shook her head. "Even in the future, it was extremely rare to have meetings with the entire order. Too suspicious. Do you do that often now?"

"I suppose not," he admitted. "It's not like you're there."

"Mia isn't in the Order," Regulus frowned. Fabian paused and looked at Mia, and Regulus looked down at her. "Right?"

She silently lifted her hand a little and pulled at her sleeve to reveal a small black phoenix on the inside of her wrist, tiny but visible. Regulus frowned at her.

"When did that happen?"

She shrugged. "When I had one of my talks with Dumbledore."

"One of?" He stared. "How often do you speak with him?"

"I don't know," she sighed. "A few times a week, maybe."

"Why didn't I know about this?"

Mia frowned. "It's not like I have to tell you everything about everything I do."

"I disagree," Sirius cut in. "You're in too much danger for someone not to know where you are at all times."

"If I'm ever in real danger, his bracelet will let him know."

"And it could be too late!"

"Okay!" Fabian cut in. "Let's take a deep breath, okay? Mia isn't alone, she asked me to escort her to and from the meetings. She's safe."

Regulus quieted, though he looked distinctly irritated with his girlfriend.

"Who's that?" Avery asked, staring down at a picture in Mia's lap that had been uncovered in the short argument. Mia followed his gaze and smiled softly.

"That would be Dumbledore's Army," she replied, pulling it out and setting it on top. In the picture was Herself, Harry, Ron, Fred and George, Ginny, Luna, Neville, Alicia Spinnet, Angelina Johnson, Katie Bell, Lee Jordan, Lavender, Dean, Seamus, Anthony Goldstein, Padma and Parvati, Cho, Hannah, Susan, Justin, Ernie, Terry, and Colin and Dennis Creevy.

"Who are they all?" Fabian wondered.

Mia pointed to herself, Ron, and Harry. "That's me with Harry and your youngest nephew, Ron." She moved her finger to Ginny, Luna, and Neville. "That's your niece, Ginny, and my friends Luna and Neville Longbottom." She waved at everyone else. "I was friendly with a few others but they were really my friends."

"That's Harry?" Sirius whispered, staring down at the picture. She nodded silently as he took it in. "He looks…"

"Just like Jamie," Mia agreed. "I know."

"How do you do it?" he asked, looking to her. "How can you do this when they're so alike?"

Mia looked away, willing the tears to stay away. She hadn't expected the question to hurt so much. "I have to."

"Neville Longbottom," Sirius said after a long minute. "He's Frank and Alice's son?"

"Yeah," she smiled. "He's a lot like Frank, but he's brave in the way Alice is. Quiet, but fierce."

"Luna looks familiar," Avery commented. Mia looked up at him in surprise. "What's her last name?"

"Lovegood, why?"

Avery nodded as if that made sense. "I know her father."

Mia tensed. "Xenophilius."

"Everything okay, pet?" Fabian asked, touching her shoulder gently. She shrugged his hand off and nodded.

"Something happened, it's not a big deal. I understand why he did it."

"What did he do?" Regulus asked, speaking for the first time since their small fight. She turned to him and barely managed not to roll her eyes.

"It's war," she shook her head, her hair bouncing around her shoulders. "People do things they're not proud of, and he's not proud of that."

"Did he hurt you?"

"No," she said before pausing. "Not really. It's-," she sighed. "We went to talk to him about the tale of three brothers," she explained slowly. "He went to make us tea before he came back and gave us some of the information we needed. He got really nervous and said our tea had gone cold, but we needed to go. He was still acting weird. We said we needed to leave, and he yelled and ran to the door to stop us. He… he told us we were his only hope.

"He has a… paper, I suppose, and he'd been writing things against Voldemort. They got angry and took Luna. He… said Voldemort's name, and the snatchers came. He wanted to trade us for his daughter. We escaped, but it was bad."

"Fuck," Regulus whispered.

"I don't blame him," Mia assured him. "It's war, and everyone just wants their loved ones safe. I'd do the same if it kept the people in my life alive and safe, Reg. I mean it."

"So would I," he sighed. "I just don't like that what he did put you in danger."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia pushed herself into the chair in front of her and set both of her wands - finally having remembered to keep the second wand on herself - on the desk, mostly as a warning. She barely had a moment to gather herself before a house elf knocked on the doorframe.

"Mistress Mia, Master Black is here!"

"Thank you, Pitza," Mia nodded. The odd house elf, dressed in a small suit, nodded back and vanished as Mia's guest made her way into the room. Mia stood, holding her hand out to him, which he took, kissing her knuckles before letting go. They sat after that, and she tried to keep from being too stiff.

"I got the feeling that this meeting was rather urgent," she began. "Is something wrong, Orion?"

"Not as such," he shook his head. "But some things have… come to my attention, and I thought it best we meet."

"Oh?"

His gaze drifted to her left hand and she paused, abruptly understanding. "I'm impressed that you've kept it quiet for so long, even if the entire school knew."

"So are we," she sighed. "How did Walburga take it?"

"She doesn't know," Orion stared at her like she'd lost her mind. "If she did, he'd likely get the same treatment as his brother."

Mia felt her heart squeeze as a thought occurred to her. Did she have to stay away from him? She didn't think either of them could handle that. They needed each other.

"Soul magic is strange," he told her softly. She forced herself to relax a little so she could nod. "And it typically protects those involved. I do not believe that anyone who wishes either of you harm will find out and be able to pass on the information."

Mia paused. That meant Dolohov couldn't share, right? "How did you find out?"

"Their uncle Alphard," he commented. "He knows my true alliances, and he told me to write up a contract for the pair of you, and to meet with Charlus."

Mia bit her lip to avoid groaning. "Please tell me you didn't go speak with my dad."

"I haven't," he promised. "Yet."

"Orion," Mia sighed. "I am adopted, you know this."

"Yes, of course."

"You can't write up that contract," she told him. He went to speak, but she continued. "There is much about me that you do not know, but I will say this. If any of my many secrets came to light, it would be dangerous for not just me, but everyone around me. It may be the least of my worries at the moment, but Walburga is one of them. I am muggleborn, and I believe she'd kill me before I could enter her House."

Orion stared for a long moment, thinking. "I will be seeing Charlus tomorrow, and we can draw up the contract." She went to interrupt, but he held up a hand, asking for silence. She pursed her lips but said nothing. "Once it's done, I will put it in my safe in my office."

"She can't get in there?"

"No," he shook his head. "That's where I hold all of the titles for the properties and the key to the vault with the money I set aside for Sirius."

Mia's eyes widened. "You what?"

He stared back at her. "You think I'd leave my son with a bare fraction of what he should receive? No. Walburga may have blasted him off the wallpaper, but that does not truly and legally disown him. Only Arcturus can do that, and he has not."

"He's… still a part of your House?"

"Yes."

Mia looked at the man with a new appreciation. "You're working very hard to give your sons a way to be happy, regardless of their mother."

Orion seemed to consider his words before he spoke. "Walburga is a horrible, vile woman. I'd say I wished I never married her, but then I would not have Sirius and Regulus. They are, truly, the only reason I have not escaped this poisoned world and lived among the muggles."

Mia felt her mouth open a little in surprise. "Are you serious?"

"Actually, Sirius is Sirius."

Mia felt a surprised burst of laughter bubble up inside of her. "Oh my god."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

March 7th, 1977

"Where were you last night?" Avery asked, bumping shoulders with Mia. She looked up at him in surprise.

"Who noticed I was gone?"

"Marlene," he answered. "She told-,"

"Don't say it, please."

"She told Regulus."

Mia groaned and threw her head back. "I was taking care of some business outside of school. He couldn't be with me."

"Neither could I?"

Mia paused. "It was very sudden. I didn't want to bother you."

"You wanted to escape," he accused, though he didn't look upset. "You've seemed very overwhelmed lately."

Mia shrugged lightly, relaxing into the couch and settling her head onto his shoulder. "I was never one to be protected, Avery. That's Harry. I always protected him, always. But here…"

"You're the one in more danger here," he surmised. "Did Harry feel how you're feeling now?"

She considered it. "I… don't know. Possibly. Probably, really."

"But you didn't give in because his frustration didn't change the fact that he was in danger, right?"

"Yeah."

"So you kept him safe."

"Yes."

"Interesting."

Mia shifted to glare at him. "That's… not fair."

"Yes, it is. You just don't like the position you're in, especially because you're a control freak."

"Hey!"

"He's right," Severus muttered as he sat down on Mia's other side. "What are we talking about?"

"Mia's reckless tendency to wander off," Avery informed him.

"Oh, I'd love to talk about that," Severus rolled his eyes. "Especially after listening to Regulus rant about it for an hour."

"Merlin," Mia rolled her eyes. "How angry is he?"

"He's not angry," Severus frowned at her, wondering how she had it so wrong. "He's just terrified."

"That sounds a little dramatic-,"

"It's not," Severus shook his head. "He thinks one of these days, you're going to wander off and Dolohov will find you and kill you, or you'll leave the castle without telling anyone, and it'll be Bellatrix or Voldemort. And you know it's completely possible. You've only been lucky so far."

Mia was silent as she reluctantly found herself agreeing with him. She knew she'd been lucky so far, and she'd been hoping that luck would just extend as far as she wanted it to, but that's not how it works, and she knew that. She sighed.

"Next time I need a meeting like that, I'll take one of you," she promised. "But you have to stay in another room of the house while my guest is there."

"Why?" Severus leaned forward to look at her, her head still resting on Avery's shoulder. "Who were you with?"

"No one that would hurt me," she rolled her eyes. "Everything is fine. It's either you come with but stay away from them, or I go alone."

"Fine."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"I don't understand," Alice shook her head, looking between her fiance, her friend, and Severus. "What are you doing?"

Mia exchanged a glance with Severus. She'd considered how to approach this and knew she had to be blunt. She'd been assured that the memories would be contained, so it didn't bother her. "Something really bad is going to happen to the both of you in 1981. It can't be prevented. I'm here to help you do something that can help you heal after that."

"How would you know that?" Frank asked her, both irritated and concerned. "Are you a Seer?"

"Something of the sort," she shrugged off the question. "You're both my friends. Do you trust me enough to do what I tell you to do?"

The couple exchanged a look and finally, Alice nodded. "What do we have to do?"

Mia let out a sharp breath of relief. "Severus is going to go into your minds and help to build shields. These aren't like normal Occlumency shields. They're actually going to hold copies of your memories. It's hard to explain, but your job is that once he's finished, every single night, you have to put your memories from the day behind these shields. This is very important. If you don't, you'll miss four years of very important memories. Okay? And then, we're going to put a trigger on these memories. When you hear that word, they'll be released. Okay?"

"I don't understand. What's going to happen, Mia?" Alice asked her, looking rightfully overwhelmed.

"Something bad," she shook her head regretfully. "But I'm doing my best to fix it right now, because I won't be able to help you when it happens."

"Okay," Frank agreed firmly. "Let's do this."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sirius rounded a corner quickly, only stopping as he ran straight into Pete. He swore loudly but reached a hand down to help his friend. "You okay there, Wormtail? We haven't seen you much lately."

"I've been busy," he muttered, looking around the empty corridor. "I gotta go."

"We have class in like ten minutes," Sirius blinked. "You're gonna get detention if you miss again. We've been covering for you, but there's only so much we can do, bud."

"I said I have to go, Sirius," Peter snapped, glaring. Sirius paused and backed off, nodding quietly. Peter scurried away, and Sirius watched him go.

His friend had been acting more and more odd lately, and Mia had gone to exhausting lengths to avoid him. She'd never been fond of him, he knew that, but she'd been downright mean to him, and excluded him from things that he really shouldn't have been.

Whatever was happening, she knew what it was. And Sirius was determined to figure it out.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

March 8th, 1977

Sirius placed himself down next to Mia and Regulus, who were in the library studying. He'd hoped to get her alone, but he knew that it was impossible short of sneaking into Slytherin sixth year girls' dorms and waking her, but that was off the table because he was certain he'd be hexed - or worse - in her startled state.

"Hey, kitten," he said, nudging her shoulder. She glanced up at him with a frown. "Can we talk?"

"Sure," she answered slowly. "What's up?"

He saw Regulus put his book down as well and knew his brother was suspicious, but he really didn't care. "It's about Pete." She stiffened, giving him all the answer he needed. "He's been acting weird lately."

"Okay… maybe ask him about it?"

"I did, or I tried. He blew me off and then skipped class."

"Why do you think I know something about this?" She asked with a frown. She looked extremely uncomfortable and he knew she had to know something.

"Because you're acting weird about him," Sirius answered. "You've been rude, downright mean to him, and you left him out of the last training we did."

"I don't like him."

"It's more than that," Sirius pressed. "What is it, Mia?"

"Sirius," Regulus growled. Mia placed a hand on his arm and turned back to Sirius, her golden eyes flashing.

"Sirius, I have nothing to say to you on this matter."

"The hell you don't!" He spat. She stiffened, backing away from him, and he felt guilt pool in his stomach. He threw up a silencing charm around them to keep their conversation private and ignored his brother's wand pointed at him. "I'm sorry, I… I'm worried."

"Sirius, I really just… can't say anything," she told him, still stiff and leaning away from him.

"But something is wrong with him?"

"Sirius, stop," Regulus snapped. "You cannot guilt her into telling you, or manipulate her into telling you. This is something that you have to live yourself."

Sirius stared at his brother before looking back at Mia. There was something else, something bugging her and it wasn't just the way he'd snapped at her. She had her arms wrapped around her chest, and she was avoiding his gaze.

Maybe he'd pushed too far.

"Okay," he said slowly, backing off. Regulus's wand was still out, and he stood quietly. "I'm sorry, I'm just… worried about my friend."

"I know," was all she said in response. He glanced at her again, worried and upset, and waved his wand to lower the ward and left the library, more confused than when he entered.

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	14. Dissociation

**March 10th, 1977**

"Samson Dodd?" Mia blinked. "Who… is that?"

"He's a friend," Leon sighed. "Sort of. He came into Voldemort's ranks the same way Avery did, and I really don't think he likes it. I just suggest you talk to him."

"What do you think?" Mia asked, turning to Avery, the only one of her boys who was with her at the moment. He thought for a moment and hesitated before speaking.

"I think… you should be careful when approaching him, but I do believe he is not faithful to Riddle."

"Okay," Mia shrugged. "I'll find him later."

"No," Avery shook his head. "We'll find him now."

"Avery-,"

"Mia, you know what we agreed on."

She sighed but nodded. "Okay. Let's go."

All in all, it was extremely easy to sway him. He was a Ravenclaw, and he certainly didn't seem to like where he was at. He was also halfblood, which meant he was lower in the ranks.

"Shirt!"

"Merlin's sake, Potter," Avery scowled. "You have a problem."

"Yeah, maybe, but you're still not taking off your shirt. Or did you want me to take mine off and show him?"

Avery's eyes widened and he hastily lifted his own, letting the fifth year in front of them look at the paw print.

"What is it, exactly?"

"It's a mix of runes," Mia began. "It lights up when people loyal to Dumbledore or myself touch their wand to it." She waved her hand at Leon, and he lifted his wand and pressed it to Avery's rune, causing it to glow.

"Okay," Dodd nodded before glancing at her. "Is that why your eyes glow?"

Mia paused to curse loudly. "Are you fucking kidding me?"

"Sano?" Avery said softly, touching her face so she'd look up at him. He glanced down at her eyes with a frown. "It's getting worse."

"It's fine, Avery," she gently pushed his hand away.

"You said you could control it," he argued. She blushed, looking away. "Mia, can you control it?"

"Not… as such," she admitted. "I mostly just put glamours over my eyes."

"They wear off after so long," he sounded frustrated, his worry seeping through. "And some magic will strip them from you, like at Gringott's."

"What would you have me do?" She snapped, turning back to him. "They stay like this always. My eyes aren't brown anymore, Avery."

"What's happening?" Dodd asked, interrupting them. Leon nodded, looking confused as well, and Mia shuffled in frustration.

"I don't- I can't-," she threw her hands up. "I need Regulus."

"Why?" Leon asked, looking confused and concerned. "What's happening?"

Mia ran her fingers through her hair, overwhelmed. It was enough that she was arguing with Avery, but now two that didn't know her secret were questioning her, and she didn't have her boyfriend with her. "I'm not- I have secrets, okay? I can't answer every question."

"Sano, you know that didn't work well with me," Avery whispered. Mia turned to glare at him.

"I won't fucking-,"

"Mia," a voice called, interrupting her stressed rant. Her head snapped over and she sagged in relief. "Is everything okay?"

"My eyes," she said simply. His gaze fell straight to her eyes and he seemed to slightly understand her problem. He moved over to her and wrapped a tight arm around her waist, turning to look at Dodd and Gibbon, who were standing across from the couple and Avery now.

"What you saw here," he began slowly, tense but relaxing slightly as he felt her nerves calm. "Was something you were not meant to see."

"No, but I think I know what it is," Dodd said, his eyes widening as something fell into place.

"That's not possible," Mia told him, holding onto Regulus tightly. She hated being so dependent on him, but there were times when the situation overwhelmed her to the point of panic, and he had the amazing ability to calm her and control the situation where she couldn't. It was a sort of partnership she adored. She knew his ability to calm her so easily largely came from their bond, the way they were connected so deeply.

"My dad used to be an Unspeakable," he said. "And he had to quit because he worked in the time room."

"Dodd, stop-," Avery tried, but he kept going.

"He made time turners, and it was changing him," he told them slowly. "It changed him too much. He said the spell got so easy, he didn't need his wand, or magic. He just had to think about moving the sands, and they'd move."

"The sands of time?" Leon asked, his eyes widening.

"But one day, he made a mistake, or he moved too quickly, we don't know. And-," he paused, looking at the two protective boys holding Mia between them. "And it latched onto his core, and turned him into sands of time."

There was a long moment of silence before Mia spoke.

"Ah, fuck."

"Mia, you can't-,"

"Don't even fucking tell me I can't, Regulus Arcturus," she snapped angrily. "This isn't for me. I'll be _fine_."

"As long as you don't make a mistake and die, you mean," Avery added. She glanced at him but spared no energy glaring.

"Why do you need to move sands of time?" Dodd asked. "Was it you that stole that time turner months ago?"

"I really don't think now is the time for questions, mate," Leon said hastily. "Regulus will hex you into next year if he thinks even a question will upset her."

"But it's important," he insisted. "Because the Dark Lord is looking for that time turner."

The three across from them paused.

"What?" Regulus asked, his voice dark and low. Dodd stared back at them, blinking.

"He wants to experiment on it?" He replied, looking between the three. Mia pulled herself from Regulus's arms and moved forward, her eyes flashing brighter.

"What does he know?"

"He knows it's in Hogwarts, and he knows a student has it," Dodd shrugged. "He knows what happened to my dad, so… I'd suggest you keep your eyes covered."

"Right."

"But seriously, why do you need it?"

"Time travel."

" _Thanks_."

"I'm serious," she shrugged. "I need to travel in time. To the future, farther than five hours."

"Why?"

"She can't tell you," Regulus interrupted. "So stop asking."

"Okay, but I just think you should be careful. Obviously you wouldn't keep it on you or anything, but-," he paused, watching as she glanced away. "Oh my god, are you kidding me?"

She pulled the time turner out of her robes sheepishly, and he immediately wished he'd never seen it.

"Okay, so _stop_ keeping it on you, and ward wherever you keep it," he sighed. "Just keep your eyes covered, too."

"This is great," Regulus muttered sarcastically. "Like Dolohov and Bellatrix weren't enough, now we've got the bloody thing that's supposed to send you back keeping Voldemort looking for you."

"What about Dolohov?" Dodd asked, looking between the group. The anger on Regulus's face was growing at the memory, but it was Leon who spoke.

"He's got something against Mia," he sighed. "When I spoke to her for the first time, I found him crucioing her."

Dodd's head snapped to his new leader and she scowled. "He also sliced me open in the library. The entire fucking thing started because he slapped my arse and I slapped his smug face for it."

"And _then_ you cursed him in the library," Regulus reminded her lowly.

"Because he was going to hurt Mary!" She said, immediately angry over the old fight.

"Not to mention the bruises he gave you on New Years'," Avery added.

"Merlin," Dodd breathed. "And you know him in the future, too?" Mia's head snapped up, and he shrugged. "You didn't really make it that hard to figure out."

"Wait, _what_?" Leon asked, looking between them quickly. Mia frowned.

"I can't keep a fucking secret," she complained. "Maybe it was Fred at first, but this is just ridiculous."

"Well, you didn't answer my question," Dodd told her. She shook herself and nodded shortly.

"Yes. I met him. He cursed me once, and… I met him another time after that."

"Mia, are you from the future?" Leon asked, still trying to grasp the situation. She rolled her eyes and nodded.

"I'm so tired of this conversation," she told Regulus and Avery, both of whom looked rather annoyed with the other two in the room.

"Okay, but… how?"

"I was in 1998, there was an accident with a time turner and an explosion, and I ended up here with my friend, Fred."

"How long ago?"

"Just when I showed up," she shrugged. "Early September."

"And the time turner is how you plan on getting back?" Dodd asked. She nodded a little.

"This is great," Regulus sighed. "Let's just tell everybody everything, yeah? Makes sense?"

Mia sighed. She agreed with him.

Too many people knew.

It was too dangerous.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **March 13th, 1977**

"Do you know what exactly is happening?" Mia asked.

She was sitting with Regulus across from Charlus and his boss, Bertie Croaker. Croaker was the head of the DOM, and she'd demanded a meeting after her conversation with Dodd. He'd agreed quickly, having only recently heard of her situation and wanted a meeting himself, though Charlus had fought against it until Mia requested it herself. They were in her house and she was placed on a couch next to her boyfriend, her father and his boss sitting in chairs across from them.

"We only know so much, unfortunately," he told her. "A section of the muggle military would actually know more about the man that could explain this to you, but he has, in the past, made it clear he dislikes our community and visits rarely."

Mia blinked. "Can they get me in touch with this man?"

Croaker tilted his head, watching her. "It's unlikely, but if anyone can, it'll be a man named Alistair Gordon Lethbridge Stewart. He works with this man directly."

"Alright," she nodded, filing the information away for later. "But what do we know exactly about what's happening to me, however limited the information is?"

"Well," he began slowly. "Are you aware of the muggle science of biology?" He continued at her nod. "It seems as if it is changing your DNA, Miss Potter."

She stared. "What?"

"What does that mean?" Regulus asked, looking between them. Mia shifted, rolling her hands around in her lap.

"DNA is like… who you are. It makes us up and carries information throughout our bodies. It's like… how our core is made of different magics and we have an affinity for some over others based on our family, right?" He nodded. "Well, our DNA can determine whether we have black hair or blonde hair, or green eyes or brown. It can also carry things called genes from our parents, which can pass down things like mental illnesses," she looked at him. "You know how I get anxious a lot?" At his slow nod, she gave him a small smile. "That's called Generalized Anxiety Disorder. It's a mental illness, and I got it from my muggle parents, among a couple other things."

"What's mental illness?"

"It's like I said," she frowned, suddenly unsure how to explain something that affected her so greatly. "Generalized Anxiety Disorder makes me anxious, I've got certain things that make me anxious and those are called triggers. Another example of a mental illness is Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD."

Regulus paused, thinking. "And that would be…?"

Mia glanced at the people across from her. "I'll finish explaining this later, love. We've drifted from the point."

"No, I'm interested as well," Charlus admitted. "Don't stop for our sakes."

"Yes, me too," Croaker smiled. "I've never had much time to look into mental illness."

"So PTSD begins after you experience a trauma, like an abusive relationship, being attacked, or going through a war," she shifted uncomfortably as Regulus's gaze sharpened on her. "Some symptoms are flashbacks, where you unwillingly relive the traumatic event or events, nightmares, trouble sleeping, and mood issues, like being easily irritated or afraid, and many with PTSD are easily startled. Beyond that, depending on the nature of the traumatic event or events, many will have problems forming bonds with other people or maintaining previous friendships and other relationships.

"Something common with PTSD but that isn't well researched yet is a number of things that are very similar. Dissociation is one, and it's sort of like when you experience something that overwhelms or stresses you out too much, and your brain decides it doesn't want to deal with it, and then suddenly you sort of zone out, and you can't come back and control your brain," she sighed, biting her lip.

"Then there's derealization. That's often chronic, meaning it's either constant or nearly constant. With that… nothing feels real. It sort of feels like a dream, and like you're kind of floating, but not in a good way, more like you're floating through space with no way to get back down. It's like the things around you aren't real, I suppose.

"Finally, there's depersonalization. That's when you don't feel like you yourself are real… that's the really bad one, honestly. It's like you're just not there, not real, it's terrifying."

"You sound like you have experience with this," Croaker commented softly. She looked away, glancing at the fire.

"I do," she shrugged, though she stared at the fire still. "I have for nearly four years now."

"You didn't tell me," Regulus whispered. She tried to give him a smile.

"Because there's more important things going on, like what's happening with my DNA."

"Right," Croaker nodded. "So! Basically, it's changing. We're not sure into what, but there's something else there now, similar to the sands of time."

"How do you… know this? You're wizards."

"We've got plenty of scientists working with us," he rolled his eyes. "They're bloody useful."

Mia laughed. "They really are."

"Still, we can't tell you specifically what's going on without help that we can't recieve," he told her sadly. "But if you'd be willing to, we'd love to do some tests-,"

"Bertie," Charlus interrupted. "No tests. We talked about this."

The man smiled, unashamed. "Right. No tests."

"Thank you for that information, Mister Croaker," Mia smiled, standing.

"And you," he nodded. "I'd love to learn more about mental illness if you know more?"

"Oh, I know plenty on the subject," she assured him. "Just owl me and we can set up a time to meet here."

"Wonderful!" He grinned. They said their goodbyes quickly, but Charlus stopped Mia before he left through the floo in the greeting room.

"Orion came to meet with me."

"Ah."

"We wrote up a contract," he told her. "But it's dependent on your agreement."

"Thank you," she smiled softly, standing on her toes to kiss his cheek.

"You want to marry him."

"Yes."

"Good," he nodded firmly. "He's good for you."

"Thanks for the approval," she laughed as he made his way to the floo. "I'll see you at Easter."

"Stay out of trouble, Mia," he asked of her before throwing the black powder into the fireplace and disappearing back to the ministry.

Mia waved her wand to clean up the small mess in front of the fireplace from excess powder before she walked back to the living room they'd been in. Regulus was there waiting for her, and she placed herself down onto the couch next to him, though she turned to face him completely this time.

"Why didn't you tell me?" he asked again.

"We had more important-,"

" _Mia_ ," he whispered. "Why didn't you tell me?"

She lowered her gaze, unable to look at the hurt on his face. "I don't know. No one knows, Reg. My parents, Hermione's parents, they did, but they don't even remember me anymore, so no one knows. None of my friends have ever noticed, and you didn't, so I guess I just felt… I don't know. Relieved to be normal."

"How often does it… happen?"

"It's constant," she told him quietly. "The derealization is, at least."

"And the other two… dissociation and depersonalization? Do you have those as well?"

"Yes."

"When did it start?"

"After Sirius."

"Fuck," he whispered. "There's nothing to help it?"

"No," she shrugged. "Not yet. Not here or in the future. It just… it isn't well known, Reg. I only found out about it because I asked the Room for books on PTSD and I found one from the future. From somewhere around 2015."

"What do you do when those… attacks happen?"

"I don't know. Touching helps. I touch anyone around me. You help more, your core and magic are so overwhelmingly real, I can't ignore it. But touching Avery's shoulder or when Sirius pulls my head into his lap and plays with my hair, it always helps."

"Please tell me."

"I don't know how," she admitted.

"Has it ever happened while I was around?"

"Reg-,"

"Mia."

"Yes," she breathed out. "Yeah, of course. I dissociated for nearly two full days after Dolohov tried to kill me in the library."

"What else?"

"Reg, I'm _not_ going to-,"

"Mia, please," he stared into her eyes, moving closer so she basically had to look at him.

"Why do you need to know? It won't change anything."

"But it might tell me what sort of things cause it," he argued reasonably. She tried to find a way to disagree but couldn't.

"When I saw Sirius die again," she told him. "It was like this horrible mixture of all three of them, I just- I couldn't handle it."

"That makes sense," he nodded slowly.

"After Bellatrix, both times," she sighed. "And when Dolohov tortured me, and after our conversation with Dodd the other day, and- that's about it."

Regulus stared at her for a long moment and she gasped as she felt his gaze sharpen and his mind shifting against hers as he tried to enter hers. She tore her eyes away from him.

"Regulus!"

"You're lying to me."

"You don't need to-,"

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

"You don't need to know."

"Mia."

They stared at each other for a few very long seconds as the old game started up again, him trying to slip past her shields and her holding them up as tight as possible.

Finally, he found a crack that had been born from comfortability around her boyfriend and slipped through, falling into the memory she wanted to hide from him.

 _Mia fell back into bed, begging the memory to fall away and let her sleep. Her heart rate picked up as she felt her own brain slip away in the panic. She picked away a fresh scab on her arm and winced as the cut reopened and new blood dripped out slowly. For a glorious moment, she felt clearer, but as the pain dulled, she felt her own existence dull. It was horrible, and she wanted to cry. The horrible feeling of fakeness that seeped from her own body, her very being, was overwhelming her, and she felt tears roll down her cheeks quietly._

Mia shoved Regulus away from her and stood, taking two large steps back. Once more, there were tears down her face as Regulus looked up at her, horror in his bright eyes.

"That was the night we fought," she told him darkly. "Are you happy? Did you get what you wanted?"

"Mia-,"

"No," she snapped. "No. You're supposed to trust me. Maybe you're scared. I know this stuff is new to you, but you should know better. You can't just… invade my mind because I know better than you about something you didn't need to know at all."

"I'm sorry-,"

"You know so much better than me, right?" She stared. "Fine." She raised her wand and pointed it at herself, casting a spell he recognized.

"What did you do?" he asked, pushing his robes up hastily to look at his bracelet. "Mia, what did you do?"

"You had to know there was a way you could just track me with the spell," she rolled her eyes bitterly. She was right - he'd used it a couple times, just using a different spell on the bracelet to find her.

" _Please_ , don't-,"

Mia ignored him, twisting on her foot and disapparating away from the house, leaving him absolutely devastated.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia landed in Diagon Alley, her anxious breaths coming out quick. It was nearly three in the afternoon, and she refused to go back to school only to be found by someone. She was startled by the screams in the air and held her wand - which was still in her hand - in the air, twisting around to notice the attack taking place.

She jumped into the fray, shooting spells off silently and using both her wand and her empty hand to do magic. She sent a Patronus to Dumbledore, Moody, and Fabian and Gideon both after ducking into an alley to call for support.

It wasn't long before Fabian and Gideon appeared by her side, both looking her over critically.

"Go!" She yelled. "We'll talk after."

And they did as she said.

Next to appear was Moody. He looked her over and nodded. "Anything I need to know, girl?"

"I got here five minutes ago and the attack had already begun," she told him.

They were interrupted by a tall man who looked like a more bitter Dumbledore apparating in and pushing past them to join the fight silently. Mia blinked.

"Who was that?"

"Aberforth Dumbledore," Moody grunted. "Doesn't talk much, but he's a good fighter. I've got some more coming, maybe two more."

"That'll be fine," she promised. "I'm sure I can help plenty myself."

"Shouldn't you be at Hogwarts?"

"No," she rolled her eyes. "I'm eighteen."

"You're in Slytherin robes."

"It's complicated," she told him, annoyed. "Are you just here to question me or are we going to help?"

With that, the pair entered the fight and stayed there. Mia fought alone, dropping Death Eaters silently from the top of a shop as they fought below. Some more arrived - Edgar Bones and an auror she didn't recognize - and she continued from her place above, appreciating the uninterrupted spells she was able to shoot off.

Until, of course, she heard the tell tale crack of apparation - two cracks, in fact. She spun around, but was too late as she felt ropes spin around her, slamming her to the ground as her legs were tied together. Her arms were held painfully behind her back by the ropes, and she knew she'd dropped her wand in the fall.

She glanced up and immediately wished she'd never cancelled the spell on Regulus's bracelet.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia opened her eyes slowly, her breath coming out in stutters as she felt tight ropes wound around her entire body. She looked around quietly and realized, horrified, who she was in front of.

"Miss Potter," he greeted, his voice nearly making her shiver. "I've wanted to meet you for some time now." She said nothing in the pause he gave her to reply, grateful when he didn't force it and moved on. "I've heard wonderful things about you from Mister Dolohov here."

She twisted painfully, biting her lip to keep from groaning in pain as the magical ropes tightened. Her struggle proved unnecessary as Dolohov was waved forward, moving to Voldemort's side.

"Of course, I heard of your unfortunate encounter with Bellatrix," he shook his head and clicked his tongue. "I don't blame you for interfering. She's got a bit of a temper, and not everyone deserves to feel it, like that shop owner. I'm glad to see you are well."

"I'm well?" she scoffed, speaking finally. "I'm literally tied up on the floor."

"Yes, that does look uncomfortable," he agreed. He waved his wand at her and she breathed in relief as the ropes fell away from her body and disappeared into the ground. "I apologize. I requested you be brought to me, and they had to use force."

"They didn't even speak to me," she rolled her eyes. "They just bound me."

"Well, you were taking out many of our ranks," he argued. "You had to be stopped."

"Oh, I'm sorry, I wasn't aware I was the bad person in this situation for stopping Death Eaters from torturing innocent people."

"They weren't innocent," he told her as if he was teaching a child. "They were blood traitors and mudbloods."

"Oh, right, _sorry_."

Voldemort laughed, a sound she wished she'd never heard. "You've got fire. I like _you_."

"Wow, I'm blushing."

"Still, we should get down to business," he waved off her comment.

"Of course," she rolled her eyes. "Because I'd hate to miss this."

"I've been told we have a mutual friend," he began, and she paused.

Who was it? Definitely not Regulus. Surely not Severus or Avery, and likely not Rodolphus, either. That just left her two new boys.

"Samson Dodd."

"I met him for the first time the other day," she told him cautiously.

"Yes, that's true," he nodded. "But in that conversation, a lot of information was given, wasn't there?"

"We spoke about his family."

"And you," he told her, waving his wand at her. She stiffened, expecting some sort of pain, but only felt the cool feel of magic washing off of her - off of her eyes. "Oh, it's true."

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Yes, you do," he snapped. "You're a time traveller. You're from the future, Mia Potter. And you've got a lot to tell me."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Regulus!" Fabian called, slamming his way into Slytherin common room. "Regulus Black!"

Avery stood, running over with Severus on his heels. "He was at a meeting with Mia. What's wrong?"

"It's Mia," Fabian gasped, catching his breath. "She appeared in Diagon Alley an hour ago in the middle of a raid and called for backup. We came, but she was taken. Voldemort has her."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The large group assembled in the room of requirement, a nervous energy running through them. Sirius was pacing around the room silently. James pushed himself over to Fabian, waving his hands in the air. "Tell us again."

"I don't know much," he explained for the third time. "I got a Patronus from Mia saying that there was a raid happening in Diagon Alley. Gideon and I arrived at the same time. She seemed upset but fine physically. We didn't have time to talk and ran in to fight. She placed herself on top of a shop and was taking people out from up there, but it stopped suddenly and when we looked up, she was gone. When we finished cleaning up, we checked for the last spells shot in the area. There was one binding spell and two disapparations with one side along. She was taken."

"And where is my brother?" Sirius growled.

"No one knows," Avery rubbed his temples. "He and Mia went to meet with Lord Potter and Croaker from the DOM, and he hasn't been seen since."

"I think we should take this to Dumbledore," Remus said quietly. Fabian glanced at him and thought about it.

"We can," he nodded. "But I'm unsure if he'd be willing to do anything."

"All we can do is try," James said. "I'll talk to dad and see if he knows anything."

So the large group, consisting of James, Sirius, Remus, Fred, Fabian, Gideon, Avery, and Severus all moved from the room of requirement and found their way into Dumbledore's office. The old man was in, and he didn't even blink as James rushed over to the floo without asking.

The explanations took ten minutes, and another five before James came back from his conversation with Charlus.

"He said Mia and Regulus were both there and fine," James explained, looking agitated. "He said that Mia told them something that seemed to upset Regulus, though he wasn't sure why they'd separate because of it. And then he said he was on his way here with mum."

"Good," Dumbledore nodded. "I'll be calling an emergency Order meeting."

"Seriously?" Gideon gaped.

"Yes," Dumbledore told him. "She is a member and she is in danger."

Fabian scowled at the headmaster but said nothing aside from helping to send Patronuses to Order members.

It was a full hour later when the entire Order had arrived, and the meeting began - students included.

"I know you are all aware that we've got a member I've kept secret," Dumbledore said. The group nodded silently. "We named her Raven, but it is past time for code names. The Raven is Mia Potter, and she is in danger."

"Mia Potter?" Moody called. "I saw her earlier."

"Yes, Miss Potter was at a raid in Diagon Alley-,"

"Isn't she a student?" a woman called. Dumbledore looked at her and she blushed, but he answered her still.

"She has been placed in Hogwarts, but she is truly eighteen. As I said before I revealed her identity, she has many secrets and most of them must remain secret."

"Most?" Kingsley asked, gaining his attention. He had just graduated the year before and had immediately joined the Order and Ministry both.

"Miss Potter has, through means I cannot disclose, come to gain a significant amount of knowledge about both Voldemort and this war that Voldemort would easily torture and kill her for. And now, because of her place in the raid, she has been captured."

"What happened?"

"She was working on top of a building, taking out Death Eaters from above when someone noticed her and took her," Dumbledore told them. "Now, her friends have informed us that Regulus Black has a bracelet that can track her when she is in danger, but Mister Black is missing."

"They were both at a meeting with myself," Charlus spoke up. "Regulus became upset by something she said, but I got the impression they were going to talk it out once we left."

"I've got a way to find him," Sirius spoke up. Everyone turned to him and he shrugged. "And I'll know if she's being hurt."

"How is that, Mister Black?" Dumbledore asked quietly. He looked at the group silently.

"Well, it's blood magic, but I can just do a tracking spell to find Regulus," he told them. "As for Mia, we… have a bond."

"What sort, boy?" Moody asked, both of his eyes landing on him.

"I'm not willing to share that," he told him. "There are extenuating circumstances around this bond, and it's private."

"Is it marriage bond?"

"Ew!" He screwed up his face. "Merlin, no, that's Regulus."

"They're _married_?"

"No," Sirius shook his head, looking defeated. "They have a sealed soul bond. It's… look, it's complicated. Mia got hurt bad and she'd have died if they didn't seal it."

"He might be able to help find her," Dorcas Meadowes commented. "It took a while, but back when I was taken by Voldemort, my husband was able to slowly track me."

"How'd he do that?" James asked, his eyes brightening.

She paused, her face falling. "Um, I was on the brink of death and the pain increased the closer he got to me."

"So… we want to avoid that, then."

"Probably."

"Find Regulus," Remus interrupted. "Focus on that first."

"Yes," Dumbledore agreed. "Let's find Mister Black."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia screamed, twisting around on the floor in agony. She wasn't sure how long it had been going on. Maybe hours.

They'd been trading off. Bellatrix went for a while before Dolohov switched and really leaned into her. She almost hated Bellatrix's turns only because she knew what was coming next.

The torture paused, only for it to start again, leagues worse than before. She bit her tongue in an attempt to dull the pain and quiet her screams only to bite through it, a pain that she welcomed completely. The thought that causing herself pain would temporarily block out the pain of torture lodged itself in her mind and she slipped her hands down to her legs, forcing the fists to unclench. She dug her long nails into her thighs, relishing in the pain she felt that was so different from the one that truly made her wish for death.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Twelve hours. It had been twelve hours since the pains had started, and he couldn't move. He knew what was happening, he was certain of it, and he could do nothing. He laid on the floor in front of the very couch he'd been sitting on when she'd left in a fit of anger and stared at the bracelet on his wrist, tears falling freely. His paw print was, of course, glowing painfully, but he ignored it. The bracelet should have glowed. It should have told him where she was, but he'd forced the secret out of her and she'd pushed him away, refused to let him protect or follow her.

It was all his fault.

He screamed once more as the sharp pain dug into his legs, probably the worst of it. He knew he felt only a fraction of what she did, and that only made it worse.

He was unaware of the floo activating or the people rushing into the room. He only noticed as the sharp pain dulled to a throbbing ache and saw someone kneeling in front of him, wand out and checking him over.

"S-Sirius?"

"Regulus," his brother breathed a sigh of relief, though he looked terrified. "We've been looking for you."

"Mia- she's- she-,"

"We know," Sirius's eyes darkened and he raised his wrist to reveal his shaking hand which was glowing and burning him in the same way the paw print burnt him. "Can you find her? With your bracelet?"

"N-no," his voice shook with shame as he admitted it. "She was angry, she took the spell off so I couldn't follow her."

"Fuck!" Sirius yelled, throwing himself away from his brother. Someone else moved forward - Fred, he thought - and passed him a pain potion. He downed it, regretting deeply that his girlfriend wasn't able to take it instead. The throbbing dulled and the feeling of torture wore down as well, allowing him to sit up and, barely a minute later, stand.

"We have to find her."

" _Thanks_ ," Sirius snapped.

"They'll kill her!"

"Really? We didn't know that," Sirius growled, pacing like he did when he had more emotion than he had places to put it.

"She'll die."

"I know."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **March 18th, 1977**

Voldemort made his way through the small dungeon in Malfoy Manor, his new resting place. There was only one prisoner at the moment, and the only one he needed, he hoped.

For the past five days, she'd been tortured mercilessly, and he'd laughed when he'd been informed that she'd begun tearing her legs open with her nails to find relief from the pain. Still, it took a full five days before her body gave out and she passed out in the middle of a session. He'd refused to see her again until that point, and he was glad it had come. He was getting restless listening to her tired screams and delusional begging. It really was a careful line they were toeing, keeping her mind just barely intact so he could get what he needed.

He entered her cell and found her lying on the ground, her clothes torn from both herself and Dolohov throwing cutting hexes at her.

He kneeled down and placed himself gently onto the floor, pulling her unconscious body into his lap, her head right below his. He peeled open her eyelids and looked down at the glowing golden eyes. He cast the spell and sighed with relief as he slipped past her strong barriers - he'd never entered a mind that way before, and he wasn't certain it'd work. To his dismay, all he got was fragments of memories, though he did find they were more than enough to truly understand her full knowledge of him.

" _Horcruxes-,"_

 _Xx_

" _Tom Marvolo Riddle-,"_

 _Xx_

" _Heir of Slytherin, opened the Chamber of Secrets-,"_

 _Xx_

" _If he's a Dark Lord, Mia, you're the Light Lady."_

 _Xx_

" _Soul bond will heal you-,"_

 _Xx_

" _It's dark magic, kitten, we both knew that."_

 _Xx_

" _I'm from the future, 1998-,"_

 _Xx_

" _Bellatrix… Mudblood on my arm-,"_

 _Xx_

" _Dolohov is going to kill me one of these days and I'm terrified, Sirius-,"_

 _Xx_

" _You don't know what I can do, and you shouldn't underestimate me-,"_

 _Xx_

" _PTSD, post traumatic stress disorder… after Sirius…"_

 _Xx_

He fell out of her mind, his own full of jumbled thoughts. He'd caught bits and pieces of conversations, though some, like the last, he'd felt more than heard what they meant. He was angry and frustrated at how this little witch knew so much about him, but most of all that _she_ was a Light Lady. He'd heard the rumors, of course, that one had arrived at Hogwarts, but he didn't want to believe it.

There was only one thing to do, then.

She had to die.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOo

Dolohov made his way quickly through the Manor, finding his way down to the cell he'd spent so much time in with glee. "You called, Master?"

"Yes," Voldemort nodded. "You have permission to do as you please with Miss Potter, so long as you kill her by the end of the night."

"You've entered her mind?"

"Yes, and she needs to die," Voldemort informed him sternly. "Though she did have a heavy fear of you, even more than dear Bellatrix."

Dolohov grinned madly, pleased that he'd truly put fear into the witch. "With pleasure, Master. It'll be done."

Voldemort left the room and Dolohov found himself alone with the very witch that he'd been so fixated on since the beginning of the school year. He stalked closer and slammed a stinging hex into her to wake her up.

She jolted awake, crying out in pain.

"Little Miss Mia," he sang. "I've received some wonderful news, Potter." She stared at him silently, though a thrill ran through him at the sight of her shaking madly in pain. "The Dark Lord has told me that you need to die."

She almost looked relieved, and he chuckled. "But he said I can have my fun with you first."

"Can't you just kill me?"

"No, no," he shook his head. "I told you we'd play games, Mia. I told you that you were mine. Didn't I?"

He pressed forward, kneeling down over her legs and settling down on top of her. She had her back pressed against a wall to support her, and he used that now to keep her backed into place. He ghosted his fingers over her arms and leaned forward, pressing a kiss to her chapped lips.

He intended to get back at her for everything she'd done before he gave her the relief of death.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Regulus froze, his gut clenching. He was in Dumbledore's office with the Order, the Marauders, and Severus and Avery, sitting between his friends. "No."

"Mister Black?"

It was their meeting for the day to check up on the progress, but he felt a paralyzing fear rushing through him that certainly didn't belong to him.

"Mia," he breathed. "No, please."

"Regulus, what's happening?" Avery asked, placing a hand on his friend's arm.

"She's so… scared," he whispered. "I think- oh, fuck-,"

He fell silent, curling into himself in his seat. His breaths quickened and he was certain he knew what was happening, though he refused to tell everyone. The meeting carried on and the odd, out of place pains worsened until…

Until he screamed, screamed louder than anyone thought possible, and fell to the floor, his shirt quickly soaked through with red.

He fell out of consciousness quickly, though his friends weren't that lucky.

There was more screaming. Sirius fell to his knees, clutching his wrist tight in his hand. Avery and Severus screamed in pain and the bright light could be seen through their robes. Avery ripped his off and fell to the side as the burning increased until…

It stopped.

It all stopped.

Avery, Severus, even Regulus's bloodied chest had stopped glowing.

And a complete understanding swept over the three conscious boys, though it was Severus that spoke.

"She's dead."

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	15. Sirius's Fault

**March 18th, 1977**

Severus was the first to move, and even as he pulled Regulus's robes off and waved his wand over him, everyone else was still for a very long minute.

"She's… dead?" Fabian asked softly, his voice breaking.

"Her runes," Avery's voice shook as he answered him. "They tell us in danger. She only mentioned it once, but she said… she said they'd stop working when she dies." When everyone looked at him, he glanced at Dumbledore. "Go ahead. Tap them."

And so the man did.

And nothing happened.

"She's dead," James whispered, his shoulders shaking.

"It was Sectumsempra," Severus told them, his voice thick with horror as he set his wand down again, Regulus healed but unconscious. "It hit him, too, because their bond is so strong."

"She's dead."

"No," Sirius argued. "No."

"Yes, Sirius, yes, she is. You felt it, too."

"Are you fucking stupid?" Sirius snapped, staring at Avery. "I know you know what she did."

"What are you talking about?" James asked his brother. Sirius looked between them and, for the first time, revealed the black tattoo like band around his wrist.

"We did a fucking blood ritual," he snapped. "It was dark magic, but she said we needed to, for the future, to- to bring me back."

"Okay…"

"I can bring her back, you fucking idiot!"

The room fell silent.

" _What_?"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sirius stood with Regulus, who had been woken and given a plethora of potions to keep him stable, and Snape in front of an extremely intimidating arch.

"You're sure you can do this?" his brother whispered. He'd barely spoken since he'd been woken, and Sirius got the feeling his brother knew something he didn't. He nodded silently and moved forward. He sliced his hand over the stone arch and dripped blood on the ground, watching it glow.

"Mia Potter, daughter of the House of Potter, you have sworn to heed my call from the Veil of Death. I am here to demand your return to this world. Heed my call, Blood Sister."

There was a terrifying moment where nothing happened, but after nearly thirty seconds, Mia's unconscious body fell from the Veil and to the floor, and Sirius felt nauseous looking at her.

She was naked and bloody everywhere with scratch marks dug deep into her skin on her legs, arms, stomach, seemingly everywhere he looked. Her hair was matted and her chest was bleeding freely. She had bruises everywhere his eyes fell, and her entire body shook uncontrollably.

But the worst was the openly bleeding wound on her stomach.

Snape visibly gagged at the sight but rushed forward with the pair of brothers. They stayed out of the way as Snape worked, healing her most dire injuries. Once she was less close to the brink of death, he leaned back, letting Sirius and Regulus take over. Sirius heard him throw up somewhere behind them but ignored it.

All in all, preparing her to be taken to Hogwarts took a full two hours. Eventually, they just were no longer sure what was injured and had to move.

They placed her under the Invisibility cloak and made their way back to the castle, rushing her up to the room of requirement where Madame Pomfrey and two other healers were waiting. She was handed off to them, and they set to work silently.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **April 23rd, 1977**

"Mia," a voice called. She whimpered and shook her head, staying where she was. She didn't want to move. She didn't want to see it. "Mia, please."

"No."

"Mia, you know you can't live like this," the voice scolded. "You will fade into nothing."

"I can't do it, please."

"You have to go back."

" _Please_."

"I know he hurt you," the voice, soft and female but still firm said. "I know you're scared to face that. But if you stay here, you'll never see Regulus again."

Mia paused. Regulus. If she left… she could see Regulus?

"Of course," the voice answered. "He's been by your side the entire time."

"He promised me he'd kill me," she complained. "I want to be dead."

"No," the voice snapped. "You don't."

"Yes, I do."

"He did kill you, Mia," the voice - who she now recognized as herself, her magic - told her. "But you made the bond with Sirius. You swore to return to him just as he swore to return to you."

"I didn't want to come back."

"You have so much to do, Mia," Hermione told her. "Don't give it up because of this. I know how hard it is. You're terrified, and you don't want to face everything, I know. But Regulus and I will be right with you while you do."

"Regulus…"

"Mia?"

"Regulus?"

"Mia!"

She opened her eyes slowly, the motion taking more effort than she'd anticipated. She was in a hospital, and Regulus alone was sitting with her. He looked exhausted and somewhat dirty and she wondered when he'd last left her side. "Reg."

"Mia," he said again, tears falling immediately. "They said- we weren't sure…"

"How long?"

"A month."

She coughed, startled, and stared. "A month?"

Regulus nodded slowly. "Madame Pomfrey said you were in a coma. You're nearly completely healed physically, but your mind refused to wake up. There've been a few instances of accidental magic around you and she said it was probably your mind and your magic fighting."

Mia just nodded numbly.

"How do you feel?" He asked softly, placing his hand gently into hers. The feeling was cool and calming, and she felt herself calm at the touch, completely the opposite of what she'd expected.

She ignored his question. "What did Madame Pomfrey say about me?"

Regulus hesitated. "She said you'll likely have pains and shake for… a very long time."

Mia shrugged lightly. The motion didn't hurt, and she assumed they'd given her a pain potion.

"They've got special potions for people with long term side effects of the cruciatus," he told her. "You were started on them a week ago. They're to be taken three times a day."

"What else?"

He looked at her closely, and she knew in that moment that he _knew_. "There were some things she couldn't heal." Dread filled her. She knew they'd used cursed blades numerous times, but had they done anything else?

"Like?"

"Well… they did… something… to you, and," he sucked in a breath, his gaze shifting from her eyes to her stomach, confusing her for barely a moment before he spoke. "She says you won't be able to have children."

Mia felt her entire world freeze. "What?"

"She didn't explain, but she said they damaged something called a uterus?" he frowned in confusion. "They damaged it, tore the walls and did something else, I don't really know what."

"Oh my god."

She didn't hear Regulus's words as the entire world was drown out by a rushing noise in her ears. She felt dizzy though she remained lying in bed and couldn't breathe in deep enough to fill the ever growing hole in her chest.

She was shocked from her panic as she felt something slide down her throat and, moments later, understood that it was a calming draught.

"Mia-,"

"No," she shook her head. "Was there anything else?"

He sighed, running his fingers through his hair, which seemed to have grown a little. Without realizing what she was doing, she reached out and gently pushed his hand away, instead running her own fingers through his hair. She watched him melt at the touch and felt a deep pang of guilt for leaving him for so long.

"They used a cursed blade," he told her slowly. She knew that, but as far as she knew, it had just been occasional cuts here and there. Right? "But at the end… Dolohov… added something."

The little color she'd gained drained from her face and she flung the covers off of her, pulling up the hospital gown over her until she found what he was talking about.

On her stomach was a large, dark scar, scratched in just the same way her mudblood scar had been. Though this time it said something much different and, in her opinion, much worse.

Dolohov.

She felt herself gag and leaned over the bed to release the contents of her stomach onto the floor. Tears joined the vomit as she stayed leaning over. Regulus settled a hand on her back and rubbed gently. She felt herself shake as the tears came quicker and she threw up again.

It took her awhile before she was able to lie down again, though the tears still fell. She curled into herself, holding herself in a tight ball of pain and horror on the bed. She felt Regulus place himself on the bed next to her and leaned over as he wrapped his arms around her. A few tears dropped from his face onto hers and she let herself break down for the first time of what was sure to be many as Regulus did the same.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **May 1st, 1977**

Regulus and Mia had been different. It was understandable, of course, considering what had happened, but Sirius knew there was something else. Regulus was always around her, which was to be expected, but he refused to let anyone touch her, and she hadn't stopped him as she normally would've.

An idea had formed in his mind on the third day of this and he felt sick with certainty.

The entire group had been released from school for the year a month early and sent to Potter Manor. Sirius's uncle Alphard had assured him that Orion would not tell Walburga of Regulus's wareabouts, and he was suspicious but grateful. As far as Walburga knew, Regulus was still at Hogwarts finishing up his fifth year.

Mia rested most days in her room, alone with Regulus and Dorea to take care of her. It was rare she was left alone but there were times when Regulus went to fetch something for her or do something that she'd find herself alone, and Sirius intended to take advantage of that to check on his sister without his psychotic brother.

"Mia?"

"Sirius," she gasped as he poked his head into the room. She was in pyjamas and sitting in a chair by the window, just looking out the window quietly, wrapped up in her thoughts.

"I was wondering if we could talk."

"Sure," she agreed. "Reg will be back in a few minutes-,"

"No, I just mean us," he told her patiently. She blinked in surprise but nodded slowly, though she was obviously tense.

"Yeah. Of course."

"Mia, I know what happened to you while you were there was terrible," he said softly. She looked back out the window as he began to speak, though he was fairly certain she was listening. "And if you tell me that there's nothing that the rest of us don't know about it, then I'll accept that and back off. But… I feel like something else did happen when you were there. Before he killed you."

She was completely still and her face didn't change at all as she looked at the tree across the lawn, studying it while he spoke. He shifted uncomfortably. He hated it. He hated the bare thought that it could've happened to her, but he was nearly certain.

"Regulus felt a few things while you were there, I'm sure you know that," he said slowly. She didn't reply at all and he chose to continue. "And before- before you died, he was _terrified_ for you. He acted like something else, something new was happening."

"Okay."

"Did Dolohov…"

"Yes."

Sirius sucked in a breath. He was almost glad she'd spared him from actually saying it, actually asking, though the confirmation hurt him worse.

"And then he cut me into pieces and drew his name on my skin," she told him. Her voice was light and airy, like she had no cares in the world. "And I died."

"Mia-,"

"But I didn't get to stay dead," she laughed like she'd told a joke. "I came back to all of this."

"I'm not sorry, kitten-,"

"I thought my nightmares were horrible before," she laughed again, and he shifted in frustration. "Now I get to relive… everything. Because I remember every single detail, like how Voldemort entered my mind and found my fear of Dolohov and then gave me to him to kill - to do whatever he wanted - because he knew that's how I'd really suffer."

"Mia," a voice called. Her head snapped up and the odd daze she was in faded away until she looked exhausted. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she told Regulus tiredly as he strode over to her and placed himself on the arm of her chair. "I'm just talking to Sirius about Quidditch."

"You hate Quidditch," Regulus argued.

"I have nothing else to talk about and he loves it," she lied expertly. Sirius stared at her in shock.

"Well I got your tea," he told her. "It was rather hard to find."

"I told you you'd only find it in muggle London," she rolled her eyes. "Did you give it to the elves?"

"They're brewing it now."

"Brilliant," she sighed before glancing at Sirius. "I don't mean to be rude but I'm exhausted. I'll see you at dinner?"

"Sure," he agreed, looking between his brother and his blood bound sister with a frown before removing himself from the room.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"What did you do to him?" Regulus asked with a sigh. Mia shrugged noncommittally. "Mia, you need to stop this. You would've done the same thing in his place."

"I don't care," she argued. "This is his fault."

"No, it isn't," Regulus argued tiredly. "It is no one's fault. Besides, you gave him the ability to bring you back. You had to know something like this could happen."

She didn't reply but instead looked back out the window.

Regulus pulled himself away, tired of the same argument. He'd been careful not to let Sirius have a moment alone with Mia because he knew she'd blame him for what happened to her, and they all knew that wasn't fair. There were plenty of people to blame - mainly Regulus and Mia, not to mention Voldemort and Dolohov - but Sirius wasn't one of them. He'd only brought her back, which was what she was really angry about.

He'd learned the word "suicidal" when she snapped at him and told him she wanted to die again and he'd spoken with her parents about it. She'd been put on suicide watch, and her room had wards against magic use so she couldn't hurt herself that way.

It had been startling to suddenly fear less about someone else hurting her and worry more about her hurting herself. Still, there had been slow but real progress over the days, and he felt almost as if her anger with Sirius was just her projecting her anger at what happened to her on someone she could physically see.

He knew that over time she'd get better, but it was possibly the hardest thing he'd ever done, watching her hate life in such a true and aggressive way.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **May 10th, 1977**

"It's your bloody fault!" She screamed, throwing another plate at the black haired wizard across the table from her. He ducked out of the way and stared back at her.

"I brought you back, you fucking insane witch!" He yelled, putting up a shield to block her hexes and cursing his parents for returning her wand to her.

"I didn't want to come back!"

"That's too fucking bad! You should have thought of that before you gave me the fucking ability to do it!"

She grunted as she slammed a teacup into his shoulder from behind him and he winced as it cut him. "I fucking told you what happened, you want me to live with that?"

"No!" He shouted, extending the shield to cover him completely. "But I'd rather you live with it than be dead!"

"That's fucking stupid!" She argued.

"Too bloody bad," he spat, ducking once more as a hex passed through his weakening shield. He sighed in relief as his fell and his father replaced it, letting his core rest.

"I just wanted to rest," she choked out, her anger slowly dissipating into despair. "I'm tired, Sirius."

"If you let us, we can help you heal," he promised, his voice lowering to match hers. "We can help you heal, kitten. Please don't make us live without you."

And with that, Mia broke down into tears, crying into her mashed potatoes.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **May 12th, 1977**

Mia sat at her desk with Sirius on her left, Regulus on her right. So far, Avery and Severus had arrived already, having come numerous times to visit her and check on her.

They were waiting for more to arrive, and didn't wait long before the floo chimed and a house elf brought in a terrified looking Rodolphus.

He stopped short at the door as his eyes fell on her. "Mia?"

"I'm fine."

"No," he shook his head, taking a small step back. "No, you died."

She raised her wrist, waving at Sirius to do the same. He did, and she waited for the Death Eater to understand.

"He… brought you back," he nodded his head slowly. She nodded once and saw him sag with relief. "I wasn't there, but I got back and Bellatrix laughed about how she'd tortured you, I'm so sorry-,"

"Stop," she interrupted, her face practically void of emotion. "It's fine. I didn't expect you to do anything, and you couldn't have to hold your Vow in place anyway."

"Of course, Sano," he replied quietly, moving further into the office and pausing as he saw only one chair placed across from her.

"That's not for you," she shook her head. Severus was standing next to her desk on the right while Avery was next to her desk on the left. She waved for him to move next to Severus, though he stood about a foot apart from the boy. "We've got more guests coming."

"Who else?"

"Master Gibbon is here," a house elf called. Leon made his way into the room slowly and he, too, stopped at the sight of Mia.

"Mia?"

"I'm fine," she said again. "I died, I'm back, I'm fine."

"The paw print, it-,"

"It burned you, yes," she nodded. "I might've forgotten to mention it'd do that when I die. I apologize."

"Don't," he shook his head, amazed. He glanced around the room. "Were you all waiting for me, or…?"

"No," she told him, waving him over next to Avery. He took his spot easily and she tapped her foot under her desk. "There's one more."

Both of her wands were out on her desk. Sirius and Regulus also had theirs out, and the wards of the house, which had been strengthened over the past week in preparation for the meeting, were humming in tune with Mia's core. Any threat she felt would be wiped out. Immediately.

There was a chime from the hall as their last guest arrived and Mia stood. She looked between her boys and took a deep breath before vanishing her robes, leaving in place a sports bra and her underwear. Lucky to be surrounded by Slytherins, no one reacted, but she could feel their horror.

As he entered the room, he did the same as the two before him and stopped short, his breath catching. His shock at seeing her alive faded to deep horror at the sight of her badly scarred body, her stomach being the worst of it.

"Mia?"

"Dodd," was her slow reply. "I'm not sure if you knew, but I had a… run in with Voldemort recently."

"Mia-,"

"Turns out, someone had told him about me," she smiled, her eyes blank. "He had me taken, and I was held for… how long, Reg?"

"Five days."

"Right, five days," she nodded quickly, like she'd really forgotten. "See, it was hard to keep track through Bellatrix and Dolohov's Crucio's and, well… you can see," she waved at her body in general, indicating the numerous scars littered across herself though she saw his eye catch on the worst of all of them. "Oh, right, that? That was his present to me before he killed me, Dodd."

"You… died?"

"Oh, yes," she nodded. "It was awful. Luckily, I'd used some dark magic to bond myself to Sirius here or I'd have stayed dead," she paused. "Not that I didn't want to. God, I really fucking wanted to be dead."

"Mia, please-,"

"No!" She yelled, stopping him in his tracks as he tried to move. "No."

Dodd looked around at all of the Death Eaters surrounding the desk and then back at her as he felt magic tingling against him, the sign of strong wards protecting someone. "What did he tell you?"

She stared at him for a long moment before she seemed to relax some and waved to the chair in front of her, the only chair in front of the desk. He hesitated for only a second before he sat. He wasn't going to piss her off more if he could avoid it. Unfortunately, she didn't choose to sit as well, leaving him with a horrible view of a jagged scar on her stomach reading _Dolohov_.

"He told me that he spoke with you and that you told him I'm from the future," she said stiffly. "And then I refused to tell him more and he invited Bellatrix and Dolohov both in to torture me."

"I was called to a meeting," Dodd began quietly. "I've only been to a few and each time we spoke privately. This time was the same. He told me he wanted my advice on the time turner thief because of my father, and I tried to lead him astray but he seemed to realize I was lying to him. He caught me off guard and broke past my walls easily."

"And your proof?" she asked coolly. He shifted uncomfortably.

"I'd be perfectly willing to take Veritiserum," he offered. She shook her head.

"It's too easy to manipulate the questions."

"No set questions, then," he tried desperately. "Ask me whatever the hell you want."

She seemed to consider it before Regulus leaned down and whispered something in her ear. She looked up at him and frowned but nodded and he left the room. Just as soon as he left, Severus shifted to the side to take his place next to her, unwilling to leave her unguarded. "While we wait for Regulus to get back, what questions do you have for me?"

"Um," he blinked. He had multiple questions, most of which he really didn't think he wanted answered. "When you died, the-,"

"Yes, the paw print likely burned you," she nodded. "I forgot to mention it would do that, but in my defense, I truly didn't expect to die here."

It didn't take long for Regulus to return, but the five minutes of silence after Mia's words were painful and awkward as he sat with an entire room of Death Eaters - and one decidedly _not_ Death Eater - glaring at him. Regulus took his place at Mia's side again, Severus moving over, and handed something to his girlfriend. She looked down at it and nodded, whispering a thanks to him.

She moved forward and placed the vial on the table. He stared at it. "Veritiserum?"

"The entire thing."

He stared at her now. "The entire thing?"

"Yes. We give you a subject to talk about and you go until it begins to wear off."

"But… there's truly not that much to tell about the situation," he promised. "I'll just be rambling for a half hour, spilling my guts."

"Yep."

He looked at her for a long moment and then realized that this was likely his only option. It wasn't just her encounter with Voldemort and her death that had made her seem hard - no, this had been there the day they met, this warrior inside of her, unafraid to do what she had to do. He had no doubt that if she thought she had to, she'd kill him.

So he picked up the vial and drank the entire thing.

"Tell me about your conversation with Voldemort about me."

"I was called to meet him in the middle of the night," he began, the urge to speak irresistible. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat as her eyes locked on him. "He asked me to tell him about my father and the signs he'd been moving the sands. I gave him the bare bones - his eyes glowed gold. Beyond that, I told him I wasn't sure since it was the DOM. He could tell I was hiding something though, and he took me off guard by grabbing my head and looking in my eyes before I could stop him. He saw my memory of meeting you and part of our meeting - the second half mostly, where you revealed you were from the future. He ordered I stay in Malfoy Manor for the night and I was unable to warn you when I returned to the castle the next day because you were gone. The next I knew anything about you was after the pain in the paw print. Dolohov was walking in the dungeons bragging about how he'd… killed you."

"Who are you loyal to?" Regulus asked.

"Mia."

"Why?"

"She's the Light Lady destined to kill the Dark Lord," he reasoned. The entire group looked at him firmly and he sighed. "Everyone knows it by now. It's obvious. She doesn't even need a wand at all for magic, she just uses it for show. Besides, she's got every trait, not to mention the singular trait of a Legendary."

"What?" Mia blinked, looking at him in confusion.

"They're like… Merlin, Morgana, Circe," he explained.

"What's this trait?" Sirius asked, looking nervous. He looked at everyone, confused.

"She's a Light Lady and she died and came back," he said like it was obvious. "Don't any of you know this?"

"Obviously not," Severus drawled. Mia snorted laughter that drew everyone's attention and she blushed, the most relaxed thing she'd done since he'd gotten there. She glanced at Severus quickly.

"Um, nothing," she shook her head. "Just… the future."

"What does it mean to be a Legendary?" Avery asked, directing the conversation back to Mia's apparent new title.

"Well, it's sort of like being a Light Lady or Lord but you're not destined to only one Dark Lord," he shrugged. "You're basically a Light Lady for your entire life for any Dark Lords that appear. Beyond that, you'll have immense political power and obviously even stronger magical powers."

Mia groaned, sitting down. "I really don't want that."

"Really empathizing with Harry right now, aren't you?" Avery commented, and she scowled at him before perking up.

"When I get back, Harry can take care of Voldemort," she said. "Will that void my power?"

Dodd shrugged. He wasn't sure who Harry was, but he was fairly certain she was grasping at straws. "This isn't really a gift you can return."

"This is bloody stupid," she complained.

"Um," he paused. "There's more."

"What?"

"Yeah," he shrugged. "There's more about soulmates and family - not just blood but anyone with a familial bond."

"What is it?"

"Well," he said slowly. "You're bound to live longer than the normal wizard. It's never sure how long, but you are. And that extends to anyone you're bonded with, but only down to grandchildren in the case of children, I believe." He saw Mia stiffen and regretted his words immediately and moved on quickly as Regulus grabbed her hand. "So Regulus will live as long as you do, and so will, say, Sirius, for example."

" _Me_?" he stared. "Why?"

"Because we're bonded, stupid," Mia rolled her eyes. "Are you even paying attention?"

"Yes," he said defensively. "Mostly."

"Mostly," she scoffed.

"I think it's wearing off," he told them with a frown. "I don't understand."

"Oh," Mia waved her hand in the air. "Yeah. That was a particularly weak batch we made forever ago. Hadn't had a use for it until now."

He nodded cautiously. "So, you believe me?"

She stared at him, giving him a small smile. "Yeah."

"I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she shrugged. "It probably would've happened eventually anyways."

"What will you do now?"

She looked at the group around her. "I'm going to keep healing and keep making the rings over the summer. Fabian already agreed to come visit three times a week for it."

"You want to leave."

"As soon as I can," she agreed. "I died once. They said the bond should bring me back again, but I don't want to risk it."

"And what about when you get back?"

She sighed, rubbing her face. "There's going to be some confusion to figure out first. I have to take care of Sirius, let the Order know, and a few other things… I'm making a ring for Avery because I don't know anything about him in the future and he might need it."

"Good plan," Rodolphus agreed. He, like Leon, had been silent the entire time, more focused on potentially protecting their leader than interacting in the conversation.

"How long will it take you to make the rest of the rings?" Severus asked.

"Months, probably. Likely into the start of school."

"You're not going back?" Dodd asked, horrified. Mia shook her head vigorously.

"Of course not. They still believe me to be dead, yes?"

"Yes, Sano," Severus answered her. "And we've told them Regulus was injured by the severing of the soul bond and he is recovering slowly."

"Good," she nodded.

"He'll have to go back eventually," Avery reminded her. "You know he has to."

She ignored him. "So with the paw prints burned, they severed their connection to my core," she explained. "I felt it as I-," she cut off, her breath hitching. "Anyway, we need to redo them. So…"

"Oh, no," Avery groaned.

"Everyone, shirts off!"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **May 19th, 1977**

"I'm sorry," Mia sighed, settling into her chair. "This is the first time I've managed to slip away from Regulus for more than five minutes."

"It's quite alright," Orion promised, looking her over. "I was glad to hear you're doing better."

"I'm managing," she said honestly. She'd been writing with him and was startled to find that being honest with him, telling him how she truly felt was not hard for her the way it was for everyone else, even Regulus. "It's just hard to… get out of my head."

"I heard about the information you gave Bertie Croaker on mental illness and looked into PTSD myself," he admitted. She nodded. It didn't even surprise her anymore. He was a very different man than she'd originally thought. "Are you having issues with that?"

"I have for some years now," she told him. "But it's gotten harder to manage lately, yes."

"Have you considered seeing someone who specializes in both muggle therapy and magical mind healing?"

Mia blinked. "I wasn't aware there was such a thing."

"It's very rare," he admitted. "But there is a woman in Canada, I believe, who has become quite the expert. Perhaps you should go see her."

"I'm not sure it's safe," she admitted. "I'm really only going between Potter Manor and this house. I just… don't feel safe going anywhere else."

"You want them to continue thinking you're dead," he realized. "But that won't work for long. You can't hide your entire life, you'll drive yourself mad, Mia."

"I won't be hiding," she shook her head. "I'm leaving soon, within a few months."

"I see."

"Orion…" she paused, chewing on her lip. She knew things would be so much easier if he knew the truth, but the last time she'd shared it, she'd died. She felt rather justified in her hesitance. "Call me a Seer if you'd like, but I must tell you this: in twenty years, your house will have died out. The last remaining will have been Sirius, and even he is lost to death. I- I mean to change this, to help restore this House when it's free from the hands of the bigots, and I just… I want you to know that, I suppose. I want you to know that even when you are no longer able to protect your House, I will."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"You've been- Mia, what the _fuck_?" Sirius gasped, staring at her. Regulus was doing about the same, nodding along with his brother.

"Will you quiet down?" she hissed, glaring. "It's not that big a deal."

"Are you kidding me?" Regulus stared. "You've been meeting with my father _alone_ for months and it's not a big deal?"

"Yes, because I know what you both think of him and therefore I knew you'd make it a big deal."

"You can't go there alone again," Regulus said immediately. Mia turned to him with an icy glare.

"Excuse me?"

"What if he hurts you?"

"Yes, that's exactly why he was extremely concerned for my physical and mental health and told me about someone to help my fucking PTSD, Regulus, so he can just kill me. Makes sense to me."

"What's PTSD?" Sirius asked. They ignored him.

"What if he just told you about a Death Eater so they can kill you?"

"That's ridiculous and you know it," Mia rolled her eyes.

"He's not a good man, Mia!"

"Yeah?" She raised her eyebrow. "Ask Charlus."

"Ask him _what_?"

"Well, Orion stopped by while we were in school and told me he was writing up a contract for us. He stopped by with Charlus and they did it together. Charlus told me…" she trailed off. "The day we met with him and Bertie."

"If he knew you were muggleborn-,"

"He _does_ ," she sighed tiredly. "Can't you just trust my opinion for once in your life? Is that too much to ask? Because I'm really starting to feel like, you know, it is."

Regulus blinked in surprise. "I do trust you-,"

"No, you don't," she shook her head. "You never do. You second guess everything I say and refuse to let me make decisions alone and when I do, you yell at me. Am I your child or am I your girlfriend? Who knows?"

Regulus stared at her in shock as she pulled away from him and stomped out of the room. He was only reminded that Sirius was even there when the boy spoke.

"She's right."

"I don't need your opinion on this, brother."

"No, but she is," Sirius insisted. "You worry about her so much that you forget that she's a person and you can't just control her."

"I'm not-,"

"Regulus," Sirius sighed. "You _are_. And she's still here, and she still loves you, she's just tired of it so acknowledge the mistake and make the change, yeah?"

Regulus was silent for a beat.

"Yeah."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **May 23rd, 1977**

"Fabian, I'm fine," Mia sighed. "It's not about how I'm doing anymore. It's about getting this done as soon as possible."

"But you're sure you're ready?" Fabian asked her. She nodded firmly.

"Where's Gid at?"

"He's stopping by later, pet," Fabian sighed. "He's at an Order meeting right now."

"Right," she sighed, pulling her wand. "Let's just start working, yeah?"

"Be careful," a voice warned, startling Fabian. Mia ignored it as well as Regulus, who had grown used to it, but Fabian stared at the sudden image standing next to his young friend.

"Um, Mia?"

"Ignore her."

"Is that… you?"

"I'm her magic," Hermione answered him.

"Oh, yeah, sure," he nodded as if it were totally normal, looking between the two girls. There was more visible difference the closer he looked.

Hermione was dressed in jeans and a button up with her tight curls framing her face closely. She was young, maybe fifteen, and looked rather untouched by war, if a little tense.

Mia, however, was different. She wore a loose white shirt that fell off of her shoulder and a pair of shorts that hugged her close. Her curls were looser and tickled her shoulders as they fell down her back, reaching her low back. The scars on the older woman were unhidden, littered across her arms, legs, and whatever was showing on her. They didn't seem to affect her much, though Sirius had told him that it was just because of the one on her stomach. Beyond the physical, Mia was harder and darker, the truly shocking differences. Where Hermione was relaxed, Mia held herself tightly, never letting her guard down even around her friends.

"You remember what Croaker said," Hermione said to Mia. She turned to her magic and nodded slowly. "It's changing you. If you push too hard, the consequences could be dire."

"Fine."

"Is this just… normal?" Fabian asked Regulus. He shrugged.

"She's appeared on and off since she came back. She's helping to heal."

"Are we going to get started?" Mia asked impatiently. They were out in the yard, far away from the house, and Fabian nodded slowly.

"Let's get to it."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **May 25th, 1977**

"I'm sorry… what?"

Mia flipped her hands over and started again. "I need you to bring me Hufflepuff's Cup."

"Okay, Mia… no, do you know what you're asking?"

"Yes," she sighed in exhaustion. "Of course I do."

"You want me to enter her vaults and take the Cup and bring it to you."

" _Yes_." Mia rolled her shoulders. "Because it's your vaults, too."

"Yes," he agreed slowly. "And if she finds out?"

"She won't," Mia shook her head. "You know you can do this. Or are you not a Slytherin?"

Rodolphus bristled at the comment but nodded. "I can do it."

"Thank you. It's extremely important."

"You'll have it at the end of the week, Sano."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **May 26th, 1977**

Mia glanced behind her as she slipped out of the house alone, triple checking that no one was following her. When she was certain she was alone, she made her way to a house no one knew about - one that would go to James - and set up tea in the living room.

It took barely five minutes for her guest to arrive and she smiled brightly. She was dressed in a skater dress with converse shoes and her locket on her neck, her rings on her fingers. She left her Potter bracelet on at all times and pushed it down a little to settle on her wrist.

"Lady Malfoy," Mia smiled softly. "How good to see you."

Narcissa Malfoy stared at her. "Mia Potter?"

"You've heard of me, then," Mia commented gratefully. She waved to the chair across from her couch and Narcissa slowly took a seat. "I'm sorry to be impolite, but I don't have much time, you see, as my boyfriend will probably notice I'm missing soon and come looking for me."

"You died."

"And then I came back."

"Okay."

"So, I'd like to talk to you about the heir you will someday produce," she explained. Narcissa looked startled but Mia kept speaking. "By now I assume it is common knowledge that I come from the future."

"There are rumors," Narcissa confirmed.

"Well, I went to school with your son," Mia told her. "And I'd like to talk about his loyalties."

"He has not even been conceived yet," Narcissa said slowly. "And you want to speak of his loyalties?"

"Yes, of course," Mia blinked at her. "There's no better time."

"Why is this important?"

"Because, I will be returning to the future within the next few months, and I'd like to be able to know he's on my side when I get there."

"Was he kind to you in school?"

Mia snorted. "Not at all. My name was Hermione then, and I was a muggleborn Gryffindor student in the same year as him. His father's prejudices led him to hate me and bully me throughout school."

"And you want me to change his mind?"

"I want you to ensure that what he does in school is at least mostly an act," Mia corrected. "I want you to raise him to be the person you wish you could be."

"Lucius will never stand for it."

"Is Lucius here?" Mia raised an eyebrow. "If he were, he'd tell Voldemort that I live and I'd be found and killed again."

"But why do you trust me?"

Mia hesitated. "I only know so much about you, Narcissa. I first met you in Malfoy Manor in the future. I was being tortured by Bellatrix. You looked miserable for being unable to help me, and so did your son."

"Perhaps you misunderstood," Narcissa suggested. "I do not imagine I'd ever want my son around torture."

"I never thought he'd find a problem watching me be tortured," Mia rolled her eyes. "But he did. And you did, too, but Lucius did not."

Narcissa watched her for a long moment. "You are right. I never wanted to be a part of this life."

"So you'll help me?"

"I will save my child from a life of pain in any way I can," she clarified. "If that helps you, then so be it."

"Thank you, Narcissa." Mia smiled softly. "I have a well recognized sign in the Order that pardons Death Eaters. I know you are not one, but I'd like to give you the mark so that your life after the war will be smoother."

"And my son? You'll do the same for him?"

"As long as he wants it," Mia agreed. "Lucius, however, I will not."

"To hell with him," Narcissa spat. "He's vile and cruel."

"I wholeheartedly agree."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **June 15th, 1977**

"Oh my _god_ ," Mia squealed. "Look!"

Regulus pushed himself over and glanced down, his eyes widening. "Mia, what the fuck?"

"I don't know!"

"No, really, what the fuck?"

Mia giggled. "I don't know!"

He looked over at Fabian. "I left for ten minutes."

"Yeah," the redhead nodded numbly. "I have no clue."

"This makes no sense," Regulus argued. "You just did one yesterday, we didn't think you'd finish another for weeks, not to mention _all of them_."

"I'm done!" Mia jumped up excitedly. "I finished!"

"It was strange," Fabian told him. "It was like they'd been fighting her this entire time, but they finally just… agreed, and they did what she said."

"Did you take the glamour off?" Regulus frowned, holding her chin to look at her eyes. They were brighter than ever now and she shook her head lightly in his grip.

"No, it just fell and we couldn't replace it," she explained. "I don't think it matters though, Reg, because I finished it!"

"You did."

He stared down at the eight rings laid out on the table in front of them. They were all matte black with a single speck of gold in each of them. Simple and discreet.

"I'm finished," she said again, calmer this time as the excitement of succeeding wore off and she began to understand what that meant. "I have to leave."

"I know."

"Regulus," she whispered, eyes wide as she looked at him. "I don't wanna go."

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	16. Don't Touch Them

**June 16th, 1977**

Mia pulled Severus into the kitchen, a sad look in her eyes. The pair were alone, and he knew how unusual that was, so it had to be serious. She'd called everyone to the house the Potters had given her, and he had a feeling he knew why. Still, he couldn't figure out why she was so worried. "Sano?"

"Sorry," she swiped at her eyes, pushing tears away. "Do you remember the Vow you took to promise to not change the future, the way you treat me?"

"Yes," he replied stiffly.

"I need something more… I can't risk your care for me getting in the way, Sev. The thought of this is killing you, I can see it. I need to block me out of your memories, bury me deep so you forget me."

"And what am I supposed to do about how I treat you? Or taking the position to begin with?"

"I've done some reading," she told him, fidgeting with the tablecloth. "It looks like a Vow can influence you to do what you're supposed to do. If we add some subconscious messages, you'll be fine."

"You can reverse this though." It was a question, one of concern, and she nodded firmly, a promise in her eyes. "Okay. Okay, we can do it."

"Thank you, Sev. I… cannot tell you how much I appreciate this."

"Anything for you."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia stared at the group gathered in her bedroom. It was Fred, Fabian and Gideon, James, Sirius, Remus, Regulus, and Avery. She'd wanted to bring her other friends like Lily and Marlene, but it was too dangerous.

She slowly passed boxes to Fred, Fabian, Gideon, James, Regulus, and Avery. James received two - one for him and one for Lily, though she wouldn't use it - and Mia already had her ring on her right index finger. Slowly, the group opened the rings and she spoke.

"Everyone that gets a ring dies or, in Avery's case, we're unsure. James got two because it's not safe for me to see Lily, so he has to give her ring to her. The rings are set to a time and place and will take you there when you tap your wand on them and say _portus_. It'll be Shell Cottage, where I left from. I'd set it for somewhere else but I don't want everyone to think we're… y'know, dead."

"Aunt Muriel's place?" Gideon asked in surprise. Mia nodded.

"She left it to Bill in her will." She looked at the pair standing apart without timekeys. Sirius and Remus. "You guys… I'm sorry. You have to take the long way round."

"Yeah, thanks, kitten," Sirius muttered.

"Where's Snape?" Remus asked her curiously.

"He had to have his memories hidden away for safety," she explained.

"And not me," Remus shook his head, obviously shocked by that fact.

"You all know what you need to do in the future," she told them with a sad smile. "And you all Vowed to do it."

"We know, Sano," Avery bowed his head.

Mia glanced around the room. She'd already said goodbye to Regulus - she knew she couldn't handle doing it right before leaving. "I love you all."

"We love you, too, pet," Fabian promised her. "And we'll be okay. Now get out of here before you grow old in the past."

She swallowed thickly, blinking back the tears and nodded jerkily. Unable to look at them any longer, she tapped her ring with her wand and whispered the magic word, sending her away from the family she'd grown to love and depend on, her heart breaking in the process.

OoOoOoOoOo

 **April 19th, 1998**

Bill stared in horror as he watched Hermione and Fred be enveloped in a bright light. When it faded barely a moment later, they were gone. He could feel the healing bond snap, broken as she disappeared.

"Oh my god," Harry stared with wide, terrified eyes. " _Did I kill them_?"

"What the hell happened?" Bill questioned as he moved over to the now empty chair he'd left the injured girl in. "You were just playing Exploding Snap! She was reading!"

" _Fuck_ ," a voice shouted from behind Bill. He spun on his heel to see a large group of seven people stumbling over each other. He grabbed his wand out but a shield popped up in front of them before he could do anything. His stunner was absorbed and he watched as a frustrated Hermione pulled herself from the group, putting her hand on someone's arm as they tried to hex back. "Relax, Avery, they're friends. I told you this might happen. He won't hurt me."

" _Hermione_?" Bill questioned sharply. He felt their healing bond slip back in place and gasped. " _Merlin_ , what happened to you?"

"Oh my god," she breathed, diving back to the group of people. "Regulus!"

"Regulus?" Harry questioned with a deep frown. "Mione, he's dead."

"Holy shit," Bill breathed as his eyes fell on three heads of red hair. One was Fred while the other two were the uncles he hadn't seen in years. "Uncle Fabian? Uncle Gideon?"

"Harry!"

"Mia," Avery said as James ran over to his son, who took three large steps back. "Mia, he's okay. Things are getting out of hand."

She got to her feet. "Jamie, we need to do security questions, okay? He thinks you're dead."

"Hermione, what the fuck is happening?" Harry asked, snapping at her. She offered him a small smile before looking over to Bill.

"You know I'm Hermione Granger, right?"

"Yes, but what happened? The bond is… so much worse than before."

"Yeah, it fucking sucked," she waved him off.

"Bill, are you _sure_ that's Hermione? She just cursed," Harry pointed out in shock, looking between the confused group and the man who looked like his dad.

"It's her. Hermione, what's going on?"

"Ask Fred a security question," she requested. Bill considered it for a second before looking at his brother.

"What happened when I bought you your first broom?"

"I crashed it into the window of the attic and broke my arm," Fred grinned at the memory. "Mum is still mad at me for that."

"Mia," Regulus called. She'd been sitting next to him on the floor and whispered quietly as Fred had been talking. "Mia, _shit_ -,"

"Hey, it's okay," she assured him quietly. "You're okay. We made it, Reg. I'm safe, okay?"

"You're safe," he repeated, frowning at her as if it were a foreign concept. She leaned forward and pressed their foreheads together, and he relaxed at the touch. "Safe."

"I need to handle this," she whispered to him, ignoring the looks she received. "Then we'll take care of you, okay?"

"Yeah."

"Mi, where's Lily?" James asked her in worry. "She should be here."

Mia looked up at him with sad eyes. "You gave her the ring?"

"She never took it off. She promised me she'd use it, Mia."

"Why are you guys calling her Mia?" Harry asked, frustrated.

"Shush, Harry," she told him sternly before looking back to her brother. "She didn't use it, Jamie. I thought maybe she could but… she saved Harry. I'm sorry."

"She didn't… use it?"

She shook her head, feeling her heart break at the loss of the strong, kind woman. "Vold-,"

" _Hermione_!" Bill shouted, interrupting her. "You can't say it!"

She blinked, startled. "Right. I forgot. You-Know-Who cornered her and Harry and she must've protected Harry instead. I'm so sorry, Jamie."

"Hermione," Bill frowned at her. "Fred. What's going on?"

"We can definitely explain, but I need…" she shook her head and raised her hand, silently casting the Patronus. Her fox jumped out and she felt a small smile looking at it. "To Remus. We're back, love. Please come to Shell Cottage before someone hexes everyone. Bring these potions for Reg, please. A pain potion, calming draught, wide-eye, draught of peace, and invigoration draught. He's just left the cave that Dumbledore was in before he died."

As the fox ran off, Harry moved over to her and sat on the ground next to her. "Hermione, did you say he… shit, is that actually Regulus Black?"

"Yes," she nodded once. "A lot has happened, okay? Please just… trust us."

"Sano," Avery said softly. "You have the cup on you. I suggest you move it."

"You have the _what_?"

Mia winced and reached into her beaded bag with one hand, the other one gripped tightly within Regulus's. The cup was in a box in her bag, and she handed it over to Avery quietly. "Thanks, love. Take it to my house, will you? Call for Tilly to bring you back here. She'll do it."

Avery nodded quietly and tapped his ring. " _Portus Potter_!"

"What the fuck," Harry said after a long silence. The door banged open and Mia looked up to see a desperate looking Remus. He rushed over to her, not seeing James, and set the potions down before grabbing her in a tight hug.

"Mia," he muttered. "I've been worried about you for _twenty years_."

"I'm fine," she laughed, hugging him back as Fabian grabbed the potions and began giving them to Regulus for her, much to her relief. "I thought you'd be the best person to help confirm who I am and what happened."

"Mm," Remus frowned, grabbing his wand and sending off a couple of Patronuses. "We may need more."

"Why would _Kingsley_ know?"

"Besides the fact that you two danced at the Ball," Fabian reminded her. "He was there while we were looking for you."

"I sort of forgot Emmaline was still alive," she admitted sheepishly. "With Marlene and Mary gone and Alice the way she is…"

" _Someone tell me why you're all calling her Mia_ ," Harry snapped loudly. "And why the _fuck_ is my dad here?"

"James," Remus gasped, his head turning to spot his old friend. "Oh my god."

"Good to see you, Moony."

"I didn't… I didn't think she could do it," he admitted, leaving Mia's side to hug James tightly. "You're here."

"No one answered me," Harry complained to Bill, who looked just as confused and frustrated as he did. Avery popped back in with an excited Tilly, who popped back out when Mia told her quietly to do so and that they'd come find her later.

There was a knock on the door, and Mia opened it with a wave of her hand. Kingsley walked in first, followed by Emmaline, who stopped short at the sight of her.

"Oh, motherfucker," the girl said with a laugh. "I knew you were powerful but _immortal_? That's not fair, Potter! They all said Dolohov killed you!"

"No, I'm not, I'm- I'm not…. I'm not _immortal_."

"Hermione Granger," Kingsley stared at her. "How did I never notice?"

"Dumbledore, I assume," Mia rolled her eyes bitterly as she helped Regulus sit up. He looked leagues better. "Okay. Before Harry hexes us all, I think I should explain."

"Well, shit," Emmaline interrupted. "At least all my friends aren't dead. Isn't fair that you look like you're two, though."

"Oh my god," Mia groaned. "I'm going to hex you, Emma, shut up."

" _Definitely_ Mia Potter," was all the woman said, though she laughed.

"Who the hell is Mia Potter?" Harry asked.

"James," Mia nodded. "Have Remus and maybe Kingsley ask some security questions."

"Right," Remus nodded. "What was the last thing you said to me before I went to look for the werewolf packs?"

"I told you that you better not find a new pack because we're the best one you could wish for, and then I used that charm Mia used on me when I levitated Snivellus-,"

"James!"

" _Snape_ and covered you with goo. Took me forever to figure out how to cast it, though."

"Definitely him," Remus rolled his eyes. "It took me a week to get that stuff out of my shoes."

"Let's see," Kingsley hummed. "What did you say to me when you joined the Order?"

James looked to his sister and back to the man. "For Mia, because she did so much for us."

"That's him alright," Kingsley confirmed.

"How?" Harry asked hesitantly. "He's dead."

"That's on Mia," James nodded to the girl, who was helping Regulus finally to his feet. Avery came to her other side, a sight that made James smile. "Just missing Snape, huh?"

"Snape killed Dumbledore," Harry stared at Mia in horror. She nodded sadly.

"I know, Harry. It's all a very long story, okay? Just let us explain."

"I'd appreciate that," Bill nodded, his eyes moving to his uncles.

"You guys saw Fred and I disappear, right?"

"Yeah, it was weird," Bill confirmed.

"When he lost Exploding Snap, the explosion hit my cracked time turner," she told them. "Remus and everyone else here - except for Kingsley and Emmaline because I never told them - will confirm what I'm about to say. When the time turner exploded, it sent us to the past. To 1976."

"It's true," Remus nodded quickly when Harry looked to him. "They appeared in the Forbidden Forest. James, Sirius, and I found them and took them to Dumbledore."

"Important question," Harry frowned at her. "How can you even stand? It's barely been a week since…"

Mia shrugged. "A lot of shit has happened. It's been nine months, Harry."

"That makes so much sense," Emmaline commented. "All of the things you knew that you shouldn't have known. Your arm. It was Bellatrix, wasn't it?"

"You heard about that?" she asked in surprise. The woman nodded.

"The entire Order has."

"That's shit."

"Sano," Avery shook his head. "Get back on track. We have a lot to do."

"Yeah. So, we spent a lot of time there. I'll explain in more detail when we call a full Order meeting, but basically, I found a way to get home and gave it to some people. I wish I could've given it to more like Marlene or Mary but I just don't know enough about their deaths."

"Dolohov killed Mary."

Mia tensed, suddenly feeling breathless. "What?"

"A few months after you," her friend nodded quietly. The guilt that filled Mia was overwhelming, and it refused to disperse even when Regulus touched her arm gently.

"She gave us all ways to live," Regulus continued for her. "And then sent her and Fred back here."

"And my dad…" Harry said, glancing at the man, who offered him a smile.

"Sirius got badly injured at Christmas that year and we were sent to bed while your grandparents took him to St. Mungo's. While Fred was asleep, Mia told me that your mum and I died. She begged me to make an oath that, when the time came, I'd save myself. She told me you'd be safe. I made a Vow and I upheld it."

"And mum?"

Mia frowned. "I know what magic she used to save you," she admitted. "It called for a mother's sacrifice. It would've meant her death. I made sure she got a ring as well, but she didn't use it. I'm sorry Harry… Jamie. I tried."

"I know, Mia love," James told her softly. She saw the grief in his eyes and knew that he knew it wasn't the time. She feared for when the war was over. She feared for how badly he'd break down. He loved Lily so deeply when she'd been there, and she couldn't imagine how that love had progressed over the years, nor how it felt to know he'd never see her again.

"My uncles?" Bill asked. Mia scowled.

" _Frederick_ is an arse."

"It worked out fine!"

"It could have not!" she shot back before sighing. "He made me tell them, as well as the Marauders because he was pissed at me, and then Regulus held me at wand point, which left only a few of them my fault."

"And you can't count Dodd because he figured it out for himself and told you in front of Gibbon," Avery added. She nodded firmly.

"So I only told three people myself."

"Back to the point, Little Lion," Regulus suggested.

"Yeah. So I told Fred we couldn't save them because that's not how time works. He was… upset. After forcing me to tell the Marauders - not Peter, because _fuck_ Pettigrew - I found a book on time turners and found a way to manipulate them to send Fab and Gid back here. Fred realized it could send us, too, and I then made some for Reg, Avery, and Jamie and Lily."

"I have a question," Emmaline called. Mia prepared herself for whatever tactless question would come. "Are you two engaged yet?"

"Oh my god," Mia rolled her eyes. "I'll fucking hex you, Vance."

"Is that a yes?"

"Why would they be _engaged_?" Harry asked his father, who let out a small laugh.

"They have a sealed soul bond," he told his son. At his confused look, he shrugged. "It basically means they're soulmates."

"Ew."

"Yeah, we thought so, too," Remus assured him. "The ball was a rather traumatic experience."

"Remus!" Mia snapped loudly. "Say any more and I'll make sure Teddy is the only child you can have."

He threw his hands up. "Not like I particularly want to dwell on the experience, Mi."

Mia froze, her eyes snapping to Regulus. "We need to go."

"Why?" he asked with a frown. Her eyes slid down to her wrist and he nodded slowly. "Now?"

"Yes," she said sharply. "I promised him, Reg. I promised Remus, I promised you, I promised myself. Now."

"Hermione- er, Mia, you can't go," Bill shook his head. "Where exactly are you planning to go?"

"Just to… retrieve someone."

"You're going to bring back Black, aren't you?" Kingsley asked her. She shot a glare at him.

"How the hell would you know?"

"He told the entire Order when you died," he explained, making her wince. Remus sighed at the man.

"That was only a few months ago for her, Kings."

"Oh."

"Mione, you _died_?"

"Okay, bye," she said in a hurry, grabbing onto Regulus and Avery and pointing at her ring. " _Portus Potter_!"

They all stared at the empty spot the trio had just stood in.

"I'd say that's a sore spot for her," James muttered. "It sucked."

"But really, she died?" Harry asked with a frown. James and Remus exchanged a glance before nodding.

"Voldemort caught her and had her killed," James told him. "She's handled the entire experience very poorly. I highly doubt she's fully healed, or even mostly healed. She's been through a lot with us, Prongslet."

"I forgot about that," Remus laughed when Harry's eyes lit up. "Sirius called him Pup."

"Traitor," James gasped. "That traitor!"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Mia, slow down," Regulus called after her as she ran up to her bedroom to change her clothes. "You know Fred, Remus, and James can all follow us here, right?"

"They won't," she replied, throwing her shirt off and onto the bed. Avery's eyes widened and he sped out of the room at the sight, luckily just in time for her to take off her shorts. "They want him back too, Reg."

"But take a moment to think about this," Regulus sighed, grabbing her arm gently when she tried to put on sneakers after pulling on clean shorts and a tank top. "How do you plan to get in there?"

"Harry's cloak is in my bag," she explained. "I summoned it while everyone was distracted. We use that to get down to the Veil room and then use the ring to get out of there."

"What if he's hurt?"

She looked at him and put on the shoes, tying the laces. "You know he isn't. Why are you against this, Reg? He's your brother."

"I know that," he sighed, rubbing his face. "I don't know, Mia. What's the plan after that? Do you plan to rest at all?"

"While we're doing this, the Order is going to come, and when we get back, we'll explain it all to them. After that, the DA. Then I have to find Draco and ensure he's on our side and maybe get his help. Why?"

"I'm scared for you," he told her softly, making her pause. "Once the Dark Lord knows you're alive, he will be after you."

Mia blinked guiltily. "Um, about that…"

"Mia? What did you do?"

"Well… he already knows. I asked Narcissa to tell him today that I'm back."

"Mia! Fuck, Mia!"

"It's fine!" she grabbed his arms to push them down after he threw them up in frustration. "It's fine. I've got good places that he can't find me, okay? I'll be fine. That's why I'm moving fast, though. We have to get this done as soon as possible. I… Reg, I need Sirius. I need to know it worked."

Regulus stared at her, angry but fully understanding of her desperation. "Fine. Okay, fine. We will go."

"Thank you!" She grinned at him and raised her hand, casting a patronus. "To Bill. Get everyone that shouldn't be alive to the room I was staying in. I'm calling an emergency meeting with every Order member I can and I'd appreciate it if you did, too. It's incredibly important that I share some information with _everyone_. Please trust me and help me."

The fox ran off, and she cast it again and began summoning members to Shell Cottage as she walked out of the room with her boyfriend. It was ten minutes later when she'd finished and she draped the cloak over all three of them and sent them off to the Ministry.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The Veil was as terrifying as she remembered it. She remembered standing in the corner and Dolohov's lips touching hers and gasped sharply, biting down on her lip. She jumped when a hand touched her but relaxed upon seeing Regulus. "Okay. You should both back up. I don't know how this works exactly."

"Be careful," Avery told her quietly, stepping back with Regulus.

"Sirius Black, son of the Houses of Black and Potter, you have sworn to heed my call from the Veil of Death. I am here to demand your return to this world. Heed my call, Blood Brother."

After a much too long moment, Sirius was thrown out of the Veil and onto her, knocking her to the ground. She ignored the pain she felt and waved her hand over him, checking for damage. She was interrupted by him grabbing her arm and twisting it and she let out a groan. "Sirius!"

He paused, holding her in place. "Mia?"

"Let go of me, asshole," she huffed. He let out a laugh and released her arm, only to roll off of her and pull her into a tight hug.

"Mia!"

She hugged him back, tears welling up. A short sob escaped as she held him tightly against her, unable to speak. Relief flooded through her at the sight of his long black hair tied back the way he had refused to do as a teenager. Sirius was back, alive. Her Sirius, the one that had read to her when she had gotten ill the summer before fifth year, the one that had let her stay with him nearly the entire summer and that had taught her to protect herself to the best of his ability. The one that had died in front of her.

"Shh, it's okay," he assured her, stroking her hair softly. "I'm back, love. It's okay. You did it, yeah? You promised you would and you did."

Regulus stepped forward quietly. "Mia, we have to go. We don't have time. Everyone will be there by now."

"He's right," she nodded, wiping a tear from her eye. " _Portus Potter_."

Regulus rolled his eyes as she disappeared and looked to Avery, who was shaking his head. "Let's go."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Sirius!" Remus exclaimed, overwhelmed. He'd regained his best friends that day, all thanks to the small witch that had changed all of their lives. The man threw himself into a hug and jumped when James hugged him from behind, startling him.

"James!" Sirius gaped. "Holy fucking shit."

"Okay," Mia rolled her eyes. "You guys have fun. I'm late to the meeting. Stay here in the kitchen until we call for you guys."

"You got it, chief," Sirius winked at her. She shook her head with a soft smile and left the room, leaving a nervous Regulus and Avery behind.

The living room was full to the brim of Order members. She saw Harry sitting with Ron, who had been visiting his parents while Fred was over. The twins were with them, as well as the rest of the Weasley family, including Charlie, who she was surprised to see. Molly had begged him to stay out of England for the duration of the war, and he'd mostly agreed.

Aside from them, she saw Emmaline with Hestia Jones, Deadalus Diggle, Kingsley, Elphias Doge, Tonks, Andromeda, and a few others that she didn't recognize. There were some from the graduated class that she assumed Fred called, including Lee Jordan, Oliver Wood, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnet, Katie Bell, and Anthony Goldstein.

"Oh boy," she breathed. "Right, okay. Before we start, I'd appreciate if you all ask me as many security questions as you want."

"Okay," Charlie grinned at her. "When did we first meet?"

Mia scowled. "My fourth year. I was walking through the woods because I was annoyed and I stumbled on you and the dragons. I screamed so loud you thought I was dying and came to help me."

"It was hilarious," he laughed. She resisted the childish urge to stick her tongue out at him.

"I can confirm, because of our healing bond, that this is Hermione Granger," Bill added.

"And here," Mia muttered, raising her wand. "I do swear on my wand and magic that I am Hermione Granger, as well as that everything I'm about to tell you about my recent… adventures is the truth."

"I don't understand what's going on," Molly told her. "We don't doubt who you are, Hermione."

"Well, you're about to doubt her sanity," Emmaline laughed, earning herself a glare from Mia. "Man, I really can't believe I never saw it. You definitely glare like Hermione Granger. She glared at Sirius a lot."

"What does _that_ mean?" Lee spoke up curiously. Mia rolled her eyes and raised her wand again.

"I swear on my wand and magic that my name is Mia Potter and Fred and I were accidentally sent to September 1976."

At the light on her wand confirming this, a few people swore while most stared.

"But you're just Hermione," Angelina said. She shrugged.

"Bill, my eyes were normal earlier, right?"

"Completely normally brown," he confirmed, confused. She'd heavily glamoured her eyes before even returning to her time, so no one had seen them yet. It had been difficult as the magic in her eyes fought the glamour, and it had given her a headache to put it on, something she wouldn't be doing again. With a wave of her hand, she removed the glamour, revealing the golden eyes. "Holy shit."

"I don't understand," Arthur admitted. "You and Fred went to the past?"

"I had a cracked time turner on my neck and _Fred_ decided it would be a good idea to dive toward the injured girl," she scowled. "Why did you do that, anyway?"

"I was trying to protect you," he lied.

"Bullshit, you were trying to escape it," she scoffed. "Anyway, we went back and Dumblec-,"

"Mia," a voice called from the kitchen. She looked over to see an amused Remus stick his head out. "Come on."

"Fine. _Dumbledore_ placed us with Charlus and Dorea Potter. We were there for nine months. A lot happened, and I think it important that I bring a few people out first."

"Is that the best idea?" Harry asked with a frown. "They'll all hex them."

"No one is going to touch them," she glared at the crowd. "If you hurt my boys, I'll hurt you."

"You have a lot of boys," Fred laughed at her. "You can't protect them all."

"Fuckin watch me, Fred."

"Language!" Molly scolded.

"Fine, I'll explain first. Fred and I found a way to come back by manipulating the sands of time," she told them all. "It's why my eyes changed. I gave them to a few different people aside from Fred and I. I expect you all to remain calm or I'll hex you until you can't see."

"They're going to curse them," Emmaline told her with a snort. "I nearly hexed _you_. I was so certain you were dead. Dolohov was-,"

"Let's not talk about him," Mia interrupted sharply. After being in the Veil room, she wanted to avoid the subject for as long as possible. "So while we were there, I became close with Sirius. I didn't want to let him die so I found this… bond-,"

"Tell them what it really is," Kingsley shook his head at her. "No normal bond could do what yours did, Potter."

"Fine," she scowled. "It's dark blood magic. I formed a bond with Sirius and brought him back."

"You _what_?" Molly asked her, speaking before anyone else. "Hermione, that is illegal! You could be arrested!"

Mia let out a laugh. "I think the Ministry has more important things to focus on, like arresting muggleborns for stealing magic. I don't think they care. They'd kill me for a lot less than this."

"What sort of bond could bring someone back to life?" Katie asked her with a frown. Mia pushed her arm out to show them all the black band on her wrist.

"A rather dark one. So… you can come out, Star Shine," Mia called, throwing up a shield wandlessly as the door opened to reveal a grinning Sirius. A few curses were absorbed as he came and wrapped an arm around her. She relaxed with him at her side but glared at the crowd. "You all suck."

"To be fair, Mia Mine, I've been dead for a couple of years," he reminded her gently. He rolled up his sleeve and showed them all his matching bond mark. "She wasn't kidding. This is a bloody dark and strong bond."

"Are you all done attacking him?" she asked, holding the shield lazily in front of them. At a few cautious nods, she released it. "M'kay. So, what brought us to the future again were these rings with sands of time in them. I gave them to many people. I'll remind you not to hex them."

"Who could you bring to the future?" Charlie wondered with a frown.

"Well, your uncles for one," she shrugged as the door opened again. She put up a cautionary shield again, grateful when no one attacked them. Molly got to her feet and ran to hug them, and she smiled at the reunion before moving on, letting them continue.

"Then James Potter," she told them. The door opened, and she put up a shield to block the hexes that came. "Hey! Stop that! Merlin's sake."

"To be fair, kitten, he's famously dead," Sirius reminded her. She made a face at him that only made him laugh.

Once James had moved to hug Harry again, who had reacted much calmer than Molly considering he already knew, she shrugged and raised her other hand to reinforce her shield.

"Okay. Lastly, we've got - I'm going to be really fucking pissed off if you hex them - we have Regulus Black and Frederick Avery."

Before the door had even opened, hexes were being shot, and Mia shot a nasty glare when she caught Dung with his wand out. "Fletcher, get the fuck out. I don't even know why you were invited."

"They're Death Eaters!" he argued.

"You sell shit to Death Eaters!" she shot back. "Seriously, _get out_."

When no one stood up for him, the man glared at her and left, leaving her more relaxed. Regulus took his place on her other side, taking her hand within his own. Avery stood next to Sirius, eyeing the Order.

"Dung's got a point, though," Ron called, earning himself a deep glare. "They're Death Eaters, Mione!"

"And you're a prat!"

" _Mia_ ," Regulus sighed.

"Fine. I get that, but they're already protected by the Order. Dumbledore knew about them and they're on our side."

"We're on Mia's side," Avery corrected loudly. "We're loyal to her."

"Yeah, and you're both prats," she scowled, making the boy laugh.

"They're… prats for being loyal to you?" Bill blinked at her.

"She is just upset because all of her Death Eaters pledged our fealty to her."

There was a beat of silence.

"You what now?"

"They're all fucking stupid," Mia huffed.

"Language!"

"You have to get over that, Mia," Sirius laughed.

"Your stupid fucking brother pledged fealty to me in the middle of a fight!" she glared at him. "And then I tried to complain to Sev and Avery and their dumbasses did it too! And then Rodolphus, the most sensible of all of them, did it too! And fucking Gibbon and Dodd-,"

"Merlin, Hermione," Harry interrupted. "How many Death Eaters did you collect?"

She counted in her head. "Reg, Avery, Sev, Rodolphs, Gibbon, Dodd, and one unofficial, plus the one I need to speak to later… so eight, I guess."

"Merlin."

"Why were you fighting?" Harry wondered.

"Mia and I were fighting because she did something reckless," Regulus told him. "And I decided that it would be best to prove to her that I will always protect her. It is not my fault that Avery and Severus followed suit, along with some others."

"It was not reckless!" she snapped heatedly, the old argument irritating her as it always did. "I trust him completely!"

"You had no way of knowing that he wouldn't have made a mistake. It was reckless."

"For Merlin's sake, Regulus, he is _so careful_ around me, he wouldn't have-,"

"Guys," Avery interrupted sharply. "You will never agree. Move on."

"You said Dumbledore knew," Arthur called. "Are you talking about that mark?"

Mia's eyes lit up and she grinned, looking over to Avery. "Shirt!"

Avery groaned. "You have a problem, Potter."

"Fine, Regulus can do it."

"No, thanks," Remus called. "I don't want to see her stare at him. I've been scarred enough."

Avery shook his head and lifted his shirt up to reveal the mark.

"Oh, that's the good Death Eater thingy!" Tonks called excitedly. "I didn't think it was real, honestly."

"No, yeah, they belong to me," Mia nodded. "Aside from Reg and Avery, I've given one to Rodolphus Lestrange-,"

" _Really_?" Ron stared at her. "He was there when Bellatrix tortured you, Hermione!"

"Thanks, Ron," she glared. "Believe it or not, I remember that. I trust him completely. I made him Vow not to interfere to uphold time. I also made Severus - Snape, that is - Vow to treat us all like shit while we were at school. He joined the Order and started working for Dumbledore, obviously."

"But he killed Dumbledore!"

"Which he would never have done if Dumbledore hadn't asked him to," she snapped at him. "Seriously- Sirius, _shut up_ \- seriously, Ron, I know better than you do."

"Snape really killed him?" James asked her with a frown. She nodded quietly.

"Yeah, but fuck Dumbledore," Sirius shrugged, earning himself a good number of glares. "What? He could have pardoned me at any time! That bastard is the only reason I'm still a wanted man!"

"Actually," Harry spoke up. "Fudge declared you innocent before he stepped down. Wanted to be seen as a good guy or something. It didn't work, but you're free."

" _Shit_!" Sirius exclaimed with a grin.

"Wait, hold on," James shook his head. "Why wouldn't you be free? What happened, Pads?"

"Oof," Fred winced. "Mate, you're gonna be pissed."

"Okay," Sirius sighed. "When you guys… everyone thought I was the Secret Keeper. I realized Pettigrew had betrayed you and I went after him but he fucked it all up. He blew up the street, loudly accused me of betraying you, and faked his death."

"Yeah, and no one bothered to give him a fucking trial," Mia added. "So he sat in Azkaban for twelve years until he broke out because he saw a picture of Pettigrew and- it's a long story. He's fine now. Not dead and free. Pretty good in my opinion."

"Mia," Kingsley called. "Perhaps you can explain the events of your time in the past. I'm sure it's all important."

"Right," she made a face. "Okay, so I was Sorted into Slytherin, much to my shock and horror. Things were generally calm - barring Fred telling the Marauders and Fab and Gid that we weren't from that time, which was a bad idea that I'm still upset about."

"But if we hadn't known, we wouldn't be here, kitten," Sirius reminded her. She made a face at him and he let out a small laugh.

Mia exchanged a quiet look with Regulus before she steeled herself and kept going. "It was calm until I had a run in with another Slytherin, Dolohov."

"That's why he took you at the DOM," Tonks realized. "He knew you as Mia."

"Yeah," Regulus's eyes darkened. "He did."

"You saved Mary in the library," Emmaline cut in. "From him and Lestrange."

"Rabastan, yes," she agreed. "I was so mad. I ran so fast to Regulus that I ran into him, fell, and sprained my wrist. That was the night that we looked into my memories and figured out that it had been Dolohov who had held me back at the DOM."

"Yeah, you disappeared for like two days," her friend nodded. "Me and Marls looked for you everywhere."

"Yeah, well, seeing Sirius die again wasn't exactly relaxing," she shrugged. "Sirius and Regulus stayed in the Room with me for a couple days after that."

"It was shit," Sirius nodded. "That was when I found out I'd die at the DOM."

"You _knew_?" Harry asked him in horror, looking betrayed. The man winced.

"I'm sorry, pup. I'd taken Vows. I couldn't tell you, not until now. I knew Mia would bring me back. She worked so hard to find that bond and we knew it worked."

"Anyway," Mia interrupted. It was a conversation she knew they'd have later, but there wasn't time now. "Dolohov was fucking pissed. I'd stunned them and hit them with a stinging hex, so he thought, you know, it was only fair to corner me in the Restricted Section and hit me with Sectumsempra. Asshole almost killed me. He got blood on the books."

"Shit," Harry whispered. "How did you survive?"

"Severus," Regulus answered. "We found her pretty quickly and since he'd made the spell, he knew how to heal her. She had a lot of blood loss and a concussion, though."

"Right. So we were at the Potter's New Years' Ball, and… well, it was an eventful night-,"

"That's one word for it," Remus screwed up his face. "I had to smell both of you for the rest of the night."

"Remus Jacob Lupin," Mia said, her voice low and threatening, irritated he'd brought it up again. "If you keep talking, I will _destroy_ you."

"Yes, mum."

She scowled. "Anyway, Dolohov threatened me and I found out that, contrary to Sirius and Regulus's beliefs, Orion is not an asshole."

"Orion is…?"

"Our father," Sirius answered, making a face. "I deeply disagree with her."

"As do I," Regulus added.

"He interrupted my dance with Dolohov, who was bruising me, and told me I looked uncomfortable. Chill. He had plenty of chances to hurt me and he never did."

"If you'd like to discuss your reckless meetings alone with the psychotic man, we can do that," Regulus raised an eyebrow at her. She huffed at him but didn't reply.

"I left when Reg decided to be an overprotective prat and Rodolphus followed me. He told me he'd been forced into his marriage and that Bellatrix Imperiused him so that he'd agree with her politics in public. I taught him to throw off the Imperius and gave him my mark."

When Mia paused, Regulus spoke for her. "Soon after that, Bellatrix caught Mia in a bookstore because Sirius couldn't fucking watch her like she was supposed to."

"It's not his fault, love," Mia reminded him softly.

"It bloody well is," Regulus growled back. "It wouldn't have happened if he'd had a shred of responsibility."

"He was suffocating me, Reg."

"He shouldn't have left your side."

"It could have been worse, honestly."

"It could never have happened if he'd given a single shit!"

"What did Sirius do?" Harry asked James quietly. His father shook his head, remembering the day he'd followed Sirius into the bookshop to find Mia nearly dead.

"We were supposed to be watching her. It wasn't safe for her. She played hero and Bellatrix tortured her and we didn't know until we finally went to check on her. It's my fault as much as it is Sirius's."

"No, it isn't," Sirius told James, speaking for the first time. "It was my job. I knew Bella had hurt her before and I didn't watch her. It's on me, not you."

"While she was healing, we talked," Avery spoke up, ending the disagreements. "The signs were all there, and by the time she left, everyone knew. She's a Light Lady."

Unlike Mia expected, there was silence before Harry spoke up.

"Okay, but what's a Light Lady?"

"You know what a Dark Lord is?" Regulus asked. Harry nodded, though he didn't look sure. "Well, a Light Lady is the opposite of that."

Avery was kinder to Harry and offered a short explanation, detailing the way Light Ladies matched Dark Lords and the signs of them.

"But wouldn't Harry be a Light… Lord?" Ron asked. "He's supposed to face You-Know-Who, after all."

"No," Mia shook her head. "The prophecy just says 'neither can live while the other survives.' I think that… it's got something to do with me. The prophecy had to exist so I'd meet Harry and live this life and go back in time and become the Light Lady I was supposed to be."

"Someone also mentioned that she's probably a Legendary," Avery added. "But that's neither here nor there."

"But you guys think Mia is supposed to defeat You-Know-Who and not Harry?" Kingsley clarified. The three nodded reluctantly.

"Even if we didn't want to accept this, You-Know-Who knows about me and knows I am a Light Lady," Mia told them. "He knows I'm not dead anymore now, too."

" _What_?" James exclaimed, jumping up. "Mia!"

"It's fine," she waved him off. "I'm safe here for now and I have a plan. I asked her to tell him."

"Can we go back to the thing about you being dead previously?" Charlie requested. She looked away quietly.

The small group of three shifted and Mia found herself pressed closer between her boyfriend and her friend. "In March," Avery said, knowing neither of them would be able to. "Mia and Regulus had a fight. She left to Diagon Alley and found herself in the middle of a raid. She managed to call for help from Fabian and Gideon and Moody but she was captured by… well, we don't know who, exactly."

"I do," Mia said softly. Everyone that had been there in the seventies while she was missing stared at her. She'd been rather quiet on the details of the raid and what happened after being captured, and no one had wanted to push her. "It was- it was Rabastan and…"

"Dolohov," Regulus guessed in a whisper. She nodded and felt his hand tighten around her waist.

"They took her to the Dark Lord," Avery continued shakily. "He'd heard about her eyes and the fact that she could control the sands of time, plus that she was from the future. She- she was gone for almost a week. She was tortured by Bellatrix and Dolohov in turns through different methods before the Dark Lord finally entered her mind and decided she needed to die."

Mia squeezed Avery's hand. He wasn't usually one to show his emotions like that, but she could tell that talking about it was hard for him, too. There was very little left, and she could handle that. She was pretty sure, at least. A little bit sure.

"He gave me to Dolohov," she told them all, her voice near whisper. "Left me to him as long as he killed me by the end of the night."

She stopped there and everyone watched her for a long moment before Ron spoke up.

"How'd you escape?"

"I didn't," she shook her head. "By the end of the night, he cut me up again and killed me. I died."

Everyone was quiet.

"What?" Tonks asked.

"She did," James told them softly, the memory still painful for not only him but everyone in the room that had been there.

"But she's here."

"No, she died," Kingsley agreed. "Regulus there nearly died with her."

"Why?" Ron frowned.

"Because they've got the strongest soul bond I've ever heard of," James told his son's friend. "They sealed it, so when she was injured, he got hurt, too. If Snape hadn't healed Reg, he'd have died."

"Snape was there? And he saved you?" Harry asked Regulus. He nodded once.

"That's what I've heard."

"You were there."

"He passed out," Remus told him. "It was really bad for him. The paw print burned him and his soul bond was breaking, not to mention the blood loss."

"So you died," Bill spoke up. "Your bond with Sirius?"

"Yep," she nodded, turning to Regulus. "Am I missing anything?"

He considered it before recapping everything. "Dolohov hates you, Bellatrix tortured you, Voldemort knows you're a Light Lady, you died, Sirius brought you back-,"

"You're soulmates-," Harry cut in. Regulus ignored him.

"Well, you were in a coma for a month after you came back, and then you spent time healing. You're still not healed and might never be. I walked away for about ten minutes while you were working with Fabian and came back and you had finished _five rings_ and you left the next day."

"Wait, you did five rings in ten minutes?" James gaped. "You never told us that."

"Yeah," Fabian cut in. "It was weird. It was like she was fighting to control them for the first three, and every other time she tried the spell, but then she just… could do it. She had complete control and she didn't even have to use her wand."

"She doesn't ever use her wand," Emmaline pointed out.

"What are you talking about?" Ron asked. "Hermione doesn't know wandless magic."

"Ron, Hermione and Mia are very much not the same person," Remus told him gently.

"But they are," Ron argued. "Look at her, it's Hermione, it's our friend."

"We're really not the same person."

"Oh my god." Mia breathed tiredly. "You really just have no care for when you talk, do you?"

"He doesn't believe them!" Hermione defended. "I figured I'd show them."

Regulus sighed.

"Okay, who the fuck is that?" Ron asked. Molly didn't even try to scold him. Most people stared in wonder, though Remus, James, Fabian, Gideon, and the two boys by Mia's side looked perfectly at ease.

"I'm Hermione," Mia's magic told him. "And I'm not really the same person as Mia."

"When did you… split in two?" Ron asked Mia, his voice growing louder.

"We didn't," Mia denied. "She's… um, my magic."

"She's your magic."

"I've been taking a physical form since Sirius brought us back to help her heal, physically and mentally," Hermione explained to them. "Aside from after Bellatrix in the shop with Regulus, I've never had a reason to, though I've always been able to."

"Why would she need to heal mentally?" Ron argued. Mia shifted uncomfortably as James gave the redhead a sharp look and Fred smacked his brother over the head.

"She died, you asshole!" Fred told him. "We can cut you in half, bring you back, and see if you're perfectly fine afterward if you'd like."

"Oh."

"Can you go away please?" Mia asked Hermione with a sigh. The girl just rolled her eyes and disappeared.

"So, a lot has changed," Remus said diplomatically. "There's new people here, and Mia is not Hermione. We need to assess this situation in what it means for the endgame, for Harry and Mia and who is supposed to fight You-Know-Who."

And so, with the calm direction of Remus and Kingsley, the group began fighting.

It was nearly twenty minutes before Mia, tired of the loud arguing, sent sparks around the room to quiet everyone. They turned to her and her boys, who had stayed in the same spot the entire time, and fell silent.

"Riddle knows I'm back," she told them sharply. "He will want Harry dead, yes, but he knows I'm a Light Lady. He knows I'm his true match. There's no going around it. We both have to face him."

"Why would Harry have to face him if you're supposed to kill him?" Oliver questioned in confusion. Mia hesitated.

"Ah. I can't exactly… tell you all that, mostly because the only person I've talked to about it no longer remembers me, so…"

"Mia," Regulus frowned. "What did you tell Severus?"

"Harry," she bit her lip. "Those things we're looking for?"

"Yeah?"

"You're one of them."

Harry's eyes widened in horror and he stared at her. " _How_?"

"Your mood swings make sense," she shrugged. "Bill would be able to confirm - we should tell him about it anyway - but Severus and I believe we're correct. Good news, though, you'll be fine."

"You know how we destroy them!" he argued. "How would I be fine after _that_?"

"Well, aside from the fact that you lived in second year," she shrugged. "I did some reading. Riddle will hit you with a Killing Curse, you'll die, and then you'll come back. Just gotta play dead for a bit, maybe."

"What the hell are you two on about?" Lee interrupted.

"Ah, nothing," Mia waved them off. "Just take my word for it. He'll be fine."

"Mi, you're talking about my son dying," James reminded her. "How do you expect me to just trust you on it?"

"I promise, James," she told him seriously. "I swear to you, he will be fine."

"...okay."

"Important question, though," Fred spoke up. "How does he know you're back?"

Mia looked at them. "I had a meeting with Narcissa before we left and requested she raise Draco as a spy. She agreed to do it simply because she didn't want him to be raised a bigot."

"You're telling me Malfoy is a _spy_?" Harry snarled. "That's impossible! He's been a royal prat our entire lives!"

"Harry, that's- that's literally part of being a spy," Mia explained. "He has to be awful to us or he'd be exposed."

"This is insane."

"It's true though," Mia promised. "But it's also not the point. Riddle knows I'm back and he will be preparing to fight me, not you. I've made sure of it."

"Hermione, you can't just fight him!" Harry argued. "I've been preparing to do it since I was eleven."

"And so was I," she replied. "And going to the seventies made me a Light Lady. It's just not a choice, Harry. He knows I'm alive, and he'll want to fight _me_. Not you."

"She's right," Regulus told him. "Riddle will prefer to kill her first because her power is guaranteed to match his, and he doesn't even know she's a Legendary. Not to mention the fact that he will believed he failed to have her killed before. With any luck, he'll kill Dolohov for it."

"What is a Legendary?" Ron cut in.

Avery looked at the large group. "Think Merlin, Circe, Morgana. She's got that sort of power."

"How can you know that?" Charlie wondered.

"She's got the sign of being one," the boy drawled. "She's a Light Lady and she died and came back."

"But what does it mean?"

"She'll likely be there to fight more than one Dark Lord. She did notice a power increase after coming back, and she'll also have immense political power. She's already extremely charismatic, and that'll help her."

"This is insane," Harry said for the second time.

"Yeah," Mia agreed. "It really is."

"Fine," Harry started. "So she fights Riddle, then."

"But what does that mean?" Bill asked. "What changes?"

"Well, there's a few people I need to get into contact with," Mia told them. "And some that I need to talk to for the first time. I need to take care of something at St. Mungo's, and then we need to prepare the school. Get the students out, take out any Death Eaters there, put up protections, that sort of thing. Aside from that," she said, looking at Harry. "Rodolphus retrieved the next… item for me."

"Are you- Mione, are you kidding me?"

"No," she smiled. "It was a good opportunity. He got it with no problems. Bellatrix never noticed."

"So we destroy that and get you to the people you need to talk to," Regulus told her before looking at Bill. "We'll move to the house Charlus and Dorea gave Mia. It's well protected and keeps you out of danger."

"You don't have to-,"

"Yes, we do," Mia argued. "We need to keep them as far away from you guys as possible. We don't need to put you in more danger than you already are in."

"Fine, but you'll keep us updated?"

"Of course."

The meeting lasted a little longer after that as people exchanged information that they normally wouldn't share but could since they were all there. Mia was relieved at how easily they accepted Regulus and Avery, and spent fifteen minutes explaining to the entire group the way she'd made Severus swear to act until she got back. In the end, they reluctantly agreed, and Mia felt much better about when she eventually managed to get to her friend.

Still, two hours later, she managed to slip from the meeting with Regulus and Avery behind her and floo back to the Potter house. Once there, she sent a Patronus to three Death Eaters and hoped with everything she had that they were all alive and well.

Another half hour later and there was a knock on the door. Mia opened it, smiling at the sight of Rodolphus staring back at her. She braced herself as the man wrapped her up in a tight, unexpected hug. She hugged him back awkwardly as she struggled to stay on her feet since he was nearly lifting her in the air.

"Okay, breathe, I need to breathe," she managed. He let her go gently and she moved back to let him inside. He moved in and followed her into the living room nearby to find Regulus and Avery talking to someone else - Gibbon. "Leon!"

"Mia," he grinned. He still looked young, though a few years older than when they'd met, pureblood genes and magic helping him greatly. "You're back."

"Just got back a few hours ago," she nodded, waving for everyone to sit. They did, and she was sandwiched between Reg and Avery, not surprising anyone. "We talked to the Order and then I sent for you guys." She paused. "What about Dodd?"

"Last I heard, he went to America," Leon told her. "That was about five years ago."

"I don't blame him for leaving," she sighed, disappointed. "I'm glad he's safe, at least."

"Have you destroyed it yet?" Rodolphus asked, changing the subject. She shook her head.

"Not yet. It's here. We'll be doing that later or tomorrow."

"Destroyed what?" Leon looked between them.

"A horcrux," Mia explained. "Bellatrix had it in her vault. I got tortured a couple days ago - in this time, not the seventies - because she thought I'd been in her vault and stolen it. She might as well, since it's been gone for decades."

"What's your plans?"

"Destroy the horcrux and I suppose the next thing is try and figure out how to meet with Draco Malfoy."

"He's back at school," Rodolphus told her. "We could probably sneak you in, though."

"Okay," Mia nodded. "Whenever you're ready."

Rodolphus nodded. "Let's get going."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

It took transfiguration of Regulus, Mia, and Avery for the plan to work. Leon went first, and then her boys, with Rodolphus coming up in the end. They took the floo straight to Severus's office since he took care of runaway students. The transfiguration was purely in the case that someone was in the office with him. When Mia stepped into the fireplace, she stumbled, tripping as she came out the other side.

She was steadied by a sandy haired Avery, who looked absolutely nothing like his normal self - none of them did. A quick glance around the room revealed a lucky chance. Sat at the desk was Severus, and the sight made her heart constrict. Snape stood and moved to the side of his desk, closer to the fireplace.

"Gibbon," he frowned. "What is this?"

"Some students that had escaped," Leon explained easily. "I'll be returning them to the dungeons and then heading out."

"Be fast," he waved him off. "I need this floo closed within the hour."

Leon rushed them out of the room and they raced down the hall and around the corner, glancing around to make sure no one was around. "We have to find a different way to get you three out."

"I'll disillusion us and take us to Hogsmeade. We can use our rings to get back to the Potter house from there. Meet us there?"

"Sure," Leon agreed easily, glancing around. "I'd guess Draco is in his dorms. Class is over for the day. Just be careful of anyone else around."

Mia stood on her toes and pecked his cheek before rushing off, Regulus and Avery behind her. Her gut twisted as they moved silently, pausing only once to disillusion themselves to avoid any Death Eaters. It was all beginning to set in for her, and the thought that she'd never see Lily or Marlene or Mary again hurt.

The trio slipped into Slytherin common rooms and looked around. She hadn't seen it in second year like Harry and Ron had, and she felt a measure of comfort at the familiar sight. It hadn't changed in twenty years.

It was relatively empty, only Draco, Theo Nott, and Blaise Zabini sitting together on a couch and chairs in the corner. Mia ducked behind a wall and removed her disillusionment, stopping Regulus and Avery when they went to do the same. They got the point - they were to be security. She also removed her transfiguration and took a deep breath before pushing away from the wall and rounding the corner until she came into view of the three boys at the other end of the room. In the moments before they noticed her, she took the time to appreciate seeing the Slytherin boys in their natural element. They looked distinctly normal, something that surprised her somewhat.

And then she watched Draco freeze, terror filling his eyes. His friends followed his gaze and stood abruptly, wand in hand. She put her hands up.

"I'm not here to hurt anyone," she swore. "I swear that on my wand and my magic."

They were shocked with the ease in which she'd done that, theoretically threatening her magic. Still, nothing happened, and they relaxed slightly, their wands falling to their side again.

"I don't… understand," Draco breathed, unusually vulnerable at the sight of her. "You shouldn't be so…"

"Okay?" she finished for him. He nodded numbly and she stepped closer. She could feel one of her boys brush against her side, reminding her that they were there. She stopped in front of the large chair separating her from the other boys. "A lot has happened for me, Draco."

"You have to leave, Granger," Nott told her sharply. She appreciated him. He'd never been like his friends, and she imagined he was genuinely concerned for her. "You'll be caught and tortured."

"I'm so tired of being tortured," she said honestly, though she felt Regulus tense at her side. "I'm not here for that. I'm here for you, Draco. Surely your mother told you I'd come some day."

"My mother doesn't give a shit about you," Draco disagreed. She raised an eyebrow at him.

"I don't know about that. You both looked pretty upset and uncomfortable while your aunt was torturing me. You're a spy, Draco. Your mother made sure of that."

He very carefully didn't react. "You're delusional."

"I trusted Narcissa in my last days," she frowned. "She's a woman of her word. She wouldn't break this promise. Not for me, but for you. That's what she said."

"What the hell are you on about?" Draco asked her, uncomfortable.

She considered how she could show him who she is. She reached down to take the Potter bracelet off her arm, but Draco misinterpreted and whipped his wand out. " _Alarte Ascendare_!"

Mia gasped in surprise as she was tossed carelessly in the air. She fell roughly to the ground, though her fall was softened by a pair of arms catching her. She took barely a moment to recover before she waved her hand at the person holding her to reveal Avery frowning at her as he set her down. She swiped away the disillusionment and transfiguration at the same time and, that being done, she turned to Regulus, who was holding her arm, and did the same.

"What the hell?" Blaise asked loudly.

"I was fairly certain you might not trust that I'm not here to hurt you," she admitted. "Can I please show you what I was trying to show you now?"

"I… what?" Draco asked, speechless. She rolled her eyes and stepped forward, shaking off Regulus's hand when he tried to stop her. She presented her left arm to Draco, showing him both her Potter bracelet and the betrothal gift Regulus had given her. "Potter… and Black?"

"Yeah," she shook her head, pulling her arm back after he'd had a minute to look. "I more meant for you to look at the bracelet, but whatever."

"So, what? You're engaged to Potter?"

She screwed up her face in extreme disgust. "Oh my god, _no_."

"She's mine, thank you very much," Regulus muttered, wrapping his arm around her waist. "Just tell him your name, Little Lion. Stop messing with him."

She rolled her eyes. "I wasn't _really_ trying to mess with him."

"You were," Avery disagreed.

She let out a huff before turning her attention back to Draco. "Mia Potter. You've heard of me, right?"

The blonde boy stared at her in disbelief. "Mum said I went to school with her, but… _you_?"

"Don't be rude," she scrunched up her nose.

"I'm… surprised," he corrected her. "I didn't expect Mia Potter to be a small, violent Gryffindor."

"Violent?" Regulus asked her, amused at the way she was blushing.

"Yes, well," she huffed. "It's not my fault. I didn't know what I know now, and he was saying awful things."

Draco paused. "I was, wasn't I?"

"What the hell is going on, Draco? Who are they?" Theo interrupted. He was calmer, though obviously losing his patience. "Is that not Hermione Granger?"

"No, I was," Mia answered him quickly. "It's a long story and… ah," she plucked her wand up again. "I swear on my magic and my wand that my name is Mia Potter and I traveled back in time to 1976 and befriended Death Eaters like Regulus and Avery here."

After a beat, she lowered her wand and put it back in the holster. She didn't need it, anyway. It had, truthfully, become harder to use than just using her hands.

"Potter," Blaise repeated. "How are you a Potter?"

"I was adopted by Charlus and Dorea Potter in 1976," she explained. "Aside from that, Sirius Black was adopted by them in the same year, and I made a blood bond with him, therefore I'd be a daughter of the House through him."

"But Sirius Black is dead," Theo pointed out. She shrugged.

"Not anymore," she leaned over so they could see the bond mark, pointing at it. "I didn't like him dead, so I brought him back. Regardless, I am who I say I am. Hermione is only a piece of me now."

"And you're really here for…"

"To help you," she confirmed, glancing at Blaise and Theo. "All of you."

"Tell me what you'll do. What you can do," Draco demanded. She felt a smile slip onto her lips. She knew she had him.

"I will ensure that if an Order member captures you, you'll be acquitted of any and all crimes and accepted as a spy for the Light. Aside from that, we'll preserve your properties and money, and help you reclaim your social standing once this is all over… except for your father. Actually, only you and your mother. Not Bellatrix."

Draco's eyes darkened. She watched as he struggled to find his words. "I'm… sorry."

She was pleasantly surprised by the apology and simply nodded once in response before turning to Regulus. "Reg-,"

"Mia," Avery groaned.

"Take off your shirt." She chuckled at Avery's expense as her boyfriend did as she asked, but stopped short at the sight of some scars he hadn't had when she left. "Oh my god…"

"Not now," he whispered gently. She ignored him and took a step closer to run her fingers over a particularly deep scar that ran at the top of his chest.

"Regulus," she whispered sadly, her stomach churning.

"Later," he insisted, taking her hand within his own and lowering it. She took a step to the side and sucked in a breath to speak to Draco and his friends once more, all of whom watched her ever move.

"The paw print," she said. "It's my mark. Everyone in the Order knows it and they received a refresher on that fact earlier today. I'll give one to each of you."

Avery shifted uncomfortably, and she looked over at him curiously. "If she… dies, it will burn. It'll feel a bit like you're dying."

"I'm sure that won't be important," she spoke up quickly.

"It may be," Avery argued. "And you never told Dodd or Gibbon, and you saw how they were."

"I get the point," she muttered, looking back to the Slytherin boys across from her. "He's right. The runes, the spell attaches the mark to my core, so when I die, it will die as well. I'll have to replace it."

"But you'll be dead," Theo stared at her. She shrugged.

"Yeah, but Sirius will bring me back. It'll be fine."

"I'm sorry, hold on," Draco called out, gathering their attention. "Do you mean to imply that you've died?"

Mia flat out ignored the question. "I've got a few more things to do today, so I'd really like to get this done now, if that's alright."

"You can't have died," he told her, louder this time. "It's impossible."

"If you can take your shirts off-,"

"Hermione!" Draco snapped, speaking her name for what she thought might be the first time ever. She locked gazes with him and felt him prod at her shields. And then she dropped them, likely the most impulsive thing she'd done in awhile.

 _Mia laid on the cold stone floor, her bare skin soaked in days old blood. Her matted hair fell in her face, and she didn't have the strength to move it. He was back much too soon. Voldemort had left her to him hours earlier and she was miserable. She just wanted it to end._

 _Dolohov was talking, he was saying something to her but she couldn't hear it. She didn't want to. He bent down and slapped her across the face, his own face full of untempered rage. His wand was pulled out and he threw spells at her, slicing her up the same way he had in the library. It hurt, and she heard herself scream, but after awhile, it faded. It faded while she cried and begged for it to end, the pain holding her tightly within its grip. Finally, after an eternity, it was over._

Mia stood still, very, very still. She wasn't shaking, she wasn't even sure she was breathing. She was angry, angry with Draco for pushing her over the edge, angry with Dolohov for not killing her sooner, angry once more with Sirius for bringing her back, and angry with Regulus for being angry with her.

"Mia!" Regulus snapped, grabbing her shoulders. "You trusted Severus, you do not trust him! Letting strangers into your mind is what got you killed!"

She took a step back to look at him, her eyes deadly calm. "Regulus. You think I _let_ him in my mind? No. He opened my eyes while I was passed out and forced himself inside." She couldn't process the emotions she felt. Had he truly believed that entire time that she'd just let him in?

"You died," Draco breathed. She wasn't shaking but he certainly was. It only occurred to her then that he could very well have seen more than she meant for him to. "Dolohov-,"

"I'm back," she told him gently. They locked eyes once more, but this time he searched hers to ensure she really was there.

"Sano," Avery placed a hand on her arm softly. "Perhaps we should hurry. Leon did warn us to be quick."

"Right," she shook her head. "So, are you three in, or do we have to Obliviate you?"

"I'm in," Blaise told her easily. "I'm not actually a Death Eater yet, but I'm set to become one in the next round."

"Me as well," Theo spoke up, his voice quiet. "I got the Mark the same time as Draco."

Mia turned to look at the blonde boy, and he only stared at her.

"I never wanted to spend my life being a spy," he told her sharply. "I didn't want to pretend to hate you or Potter- er, Harry. Weasley is a dick, so I didn't mind hating him. I just wanted to be a normal kid. You took that from me."

"I know."

"I'm in."

She looked at him in surprise. "Really?"

"I understand it," he explained. "I could've traded a hard childhood for an easy one, but I'd have traded safety in the future for… something much worse. Give me the mark."

She nodded shortly. "Shirts off."

"For Merlin's sake," Avery threw his hands up. "You cannot do that every single time."

She turned to raise an eyebrow. "You wanna bet on that?"

He definitely did not.

She did Blaise first, lightly tracing the rune on him and watching it glow, burning into his skin. She hissed as it burned hers as well. She moved onto Draco, biting her lip at the pain in her torso when she marked him. Finally, she met a reluctant Theo.

"It's quick," she promised. "It doesn't really hurt that much."

After a beat of silence, Regulus leaned in to whisper to her. "Remember Severus?"

"Ah," she nodded. "Okay, everyone out of the room. We'll do this privately."

"Sano-,"

"Out!" she snapped. She watched her boys as well as Blaise and Draco reluctantly step out of the room, though they were still within shouting distance. Once alone, she smiled softly at Theo. "I have… a lot of scars. Some of them are pretty nasty. If you'll lift your shirt for me so I can do this, I'll do the same. It's only fair."

Theo looked at her for a long moment and slowly lifted his shirt. She held her breath so as not to gasp at the sight of countless nasty scars all over his torso.

"This isn't going to be pretty," she warned him before lifting her own shirt to let it rest on her chest. He sucked in a sharp breath and she nodded, unwilling to look down. "I know. Bad day."

"Can I ask…?"

She considered him. "The big one is from the day I died. He, uh… he's always had an unhealthy obsession with me. He wanted to sort of mark me as his, I guess. I came back to life with all the same injuries and scars as when I died, so it stuck."

"What about this?" he asked, pointing to the scar Bellatrix gave her.

"That's from the night Dumbledore died," she told him. "Bellatrix, actually. It would've killed me, but Remus- er, Professor Lupin, shoved me out of the way."

He was silent for a long moment before he pointed at his general chest. "Most of these are from when I was a child. I disagreed with the whole… blood purity thing, so…"

She offered him a genuine smile. "I always liked you. You were nice to me even when Draco was making fun of me or hexing me."

"In all fairness," Theo grinned at her. "He definitely deserved that punch. It was incredible."

She let out a laugh. "Ready?"

"Sure."

The actual process of putting the rune on was quick, and when it was over, both lowered their shirts once more.

"Reg, I'm ready," she called. The group made their way back in as she dug deep in her beaded bag for something. Or rather, multiple somethings. Finally, she plucked three out and handed them to the boys, not including _her_ boys.

"What's this, Grang- er, Potter?" Draco asked her, flipping over the Galleon. "Present?"

"No," she rolled her eyes. "Communication. We used them for Dumbledore's Army."

"That's how you always knew where we were," Draco realized, chagrined. She just winked at him.

"I'll send a message next time I need to see you, and you can send one to me if anything comes up." She showed them quickly how they worked before saying a quick goodbye and casting the necessary spells once more before slipping from the room, and then the castle and its grounds. With a quick tap on her ring, she sent all three of them back to her house where the spells slipped away automatically as they passed through the wards.

"Now what?" Avery asked her, shoving his hair out of his face. In the short time between her leaving and him leaving, he'd allowed his hair to grow slightly.

"Now, we get to work."

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	17. They're Back

**April 19th, 1998**

Mia landed in St. Mungo's spell damage floor with Sirius on her arm. Regulus had stayed behind to take more potions and be properly looked over by Tonks, who had gotten some bare bones mediwitch training in her Auror training.

The pair entered a room and stopped at the sight of a man and a woman sitting together, holding hands and watching a picture move peacefully. Upon closer inspection, Mia realized that the picture was of Neville and his gran.

She took a step closer while Sirius set up some wards and gained their attention by standing in front of them. "Hello. I don't know if you remember me. I stopped by with Neville and a couple of friends a couple years ago. We didn't stay long, unfortunately…" the pair looked as clueless as ever, and Mia sucked in a deep breath. "I just wanted to say… I'm so sorry I couldn't do more for you. You deserved better than this."

"Mia, what are we doing here?" he asked her quietly.

"I convinced them to make… basically a backup drive of their minds through Occlumency," she explained quietly. "Just… watch."

He did just that as she kneeled down in front of Frank and Alice, taking one of each of their hands in her own. "Sano."

She watched as both Frank and Alice stilled. She could see their eyes jumping all over the room, and touched their arms gently. "Guys?"

After a long, agonizing minute, Alice looked in her eyes. "Mia?"

"Oh, thank god," she breathed out in relief. "Thank god. I was terrified that wouldn't work."

"What… happened?" Frank asked her. "Are we in St. Mungo's?"

"Yes, we are," she confirmed. "And we should probably leave soon or I'll get arrested and killed."

It sounded like a joke but the sincerity in her eyes got her friends moving, and within two minutes, she popped them back home.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The living room was full and very loud with people reuniting and waiting for explanations to be given. A few others had come over from Shell cottage, including Ron, Fabian, Gideon, and Remus. Since the house hadn't been used at all since 1977, it was likely the safest place in the entire war.

It took a few hectic moments for everyone to sit down, and when they finally did, Mia stood at the front of the room alone. "I know there's a lot going on. I appreciate everyone's patience. I've been a little busy since I got back. After introducing Reg, Avery, Jamie, and the twins to the future, Regulus and I went to the ministry. I'm sure you all know about my bond with Sirius some way or another."

"I still don't understand it," Ron cut in. "What exactly is your bond? You said it brought you back to life, but no magic can do that."

"No light magic," Fabian corrected, reminding the boy of what she'd already told everyone. "Mia didn't care how dark the magic is, Ron."

"He's right," she agreed, her voice hard. "I didn't and don't give a shit what I had to do. So Orion got me some books and I found a blood ritual to bind Sirius and I together… it did have the side effect of binding Jamie and I together as well, but since I was adopted, I was already his sister."

"I luckily didn't get the ugly tattoo you both did," James added. Ron and Harry stared at him in shock.

"She got a tattoo?" Harry asked in wonder, looking between his best friend and his dad. "Hermione got a tattoo?"

"No, Mia did," Remus corrected before pausing. "It isn't really a tattoo, though. I never asked what it is."

Mia shifted, glancing at Regulus. It was one of the darkest blood bonds there were and while the black band wasn't immediately indicative of that fact, describing the bond would be. "Right, um… so the bond is… a little bit of my core attached to his own and a little bit of his core attached to mine. It's… when one of us dies, that piece of our core survives in the other person until the day they die. Which means that we're tied together until both of us are dead."

"Mia," Gideon spoke up in surprise. "That's incredibly dangerous. You're not supposed to survive slicing off a part of yourself like that. You could've killed the both of you in the ritual alone."

"And I didn't," she told him sharply. "I'm fine."

"And the person that bound you?" he asked with an eyebrow raised. She hesitated.

"Mia did it," Avery spoke up for her. "She didn't need anyone else. She said she just had a headache afterwards."

" _Holy shit_."

"The point is, we all know how I brought him back," she shook her head. "When we were in the past, I realized something. I'd become good friends with Alice and Frank Longbottom, mostly because of my boys here."

"Which ones?" Harry joked. Mia pinned him with a heatless glare before she moved on.

" _Anyway_. I've always wished I could do something for them. Neville and I talked, actually, after we found him at St Mungo's. He told me about them. Just what he'd heard from his gran, but he loved them so much. So I got to know them, you know, just so I could at least put the memories in a pensieve for him someday, but… I had this idea. And I knew a master Legilimens, so I asked him about it, and he said he'd help me. We had the pair of them create copies of their memories and told them to do it every day…. And they did. We went to the hospital and they're… fine."

Ron blinked at her. "Fine? Mione, they were… not fine."

She waved him off. "Yeah, I know. Now they are. Guys."

The pair stepped out and took in the small crowd in front of them. Mia felt bad. She knew they just wanted to see Neville, but that was impossible at the moment. Similarly, she had no way to safely get into contact with Lady Longbottom. Still, Remus got up and hugged them both happily with James following right behind him. Once they'd settled down, they sat, leaving Mia up front with Regulus and Avery.

"Okay," she said loudly, getting their distracted attention once more. "So, look. The thing is that we all know the end of this war, good or bad, is upon us. And I welcome that. But there are a few things I'd like to do beforehand, and I'll need some help."

"Whatever you need," James told her. She gave him a smile. He was being so strong. Her heart hurt for him, and she knew he'd mourn the second he was able, and she'd be there for him. He deserved that. She hadn't been lying when she'd said Lily had a ring that would take her to the future. But she also knew the girl, and she knew that Lily was a selfless person that loved with everything she had, including her life. And she'd given that for her son, something even James couldn't regret.

"Great, because I need your blood," she told him, letting out a laugh at his startled look. "And Harry's, actually. Much quicker with both of you… oh, I suppose I can help, too. And Sirius."

"Are you talking about Potter Manor, kitten?" Sirius asked her with a hopeful look. She grinned back.

"Of course I am. It's even safer than this place and with four blood bound children of the house alive, the Ministry can't ever take it… oh, shit…" she looked at James's hands and frowned. "Jamie, did dad ever name you as his heir?"

"He did," he confirmed. "The ring was left in Potter Manor, though."

"Right," she breathed out in relief. "Okay, well, you'll need to take over as Lord Potter and name an heir, okay? Speaking of…" she turned to Sirius, who took a step back and put his hands up.

"Don't you dare-,"

"Sirius-,"

"Mia, I will throw myself back in that Veil before I do it."

"Sirius!" Regulus snapped. Sirius winced.

"Sorry. I mean it though, I won't do it. I can't, anyway. Isn't Regulus-,"

"No, actually," Mia shook her head, surprising both boys.

"What the hell are they talking about?" Harry asked Remus, who was laughing openly at his friends.

"Mia wants Sirius to become Lord Black," he explained before addressing Mia. "But Sirius was disowned at Christmas, remember?"

Mia shot him with a glare, the smell of Sirius's blood permanently burned into her brain. "Yes, I remember Christmas. But Orion and I talked a few times and he left some… important papers in his personal safe as well as Sirius's trust and his heir ring. It was never Regulus's. Walburga might've burned him off the tree, but only Arcturus can officially disown a family member, and he never did, apparently."

Both Black boys stared at her in disbelief.

"Mother always told me…" Regulus shook his head. "He never told her?"

"Your mother was fucking insane," Mia scoffed. "Of course he never told her. I'll need to get in the safe eventually anyways, and as heir, only Sirius can do that."

"I'm not stepping foot in that house again," he told her seriously. "Not for anything."

"Please, Sirius," she stared at him with wide eyes. "It's important."

"Nothing is important enough for that," he disagreed.

"Yes, it is."

"Nothing."

"Sirius-,"

"I said no, Mia!"

"It's our betrothal contract!" She yelled, and he stopped short, looking frantically between her and Regulus.

"I didn't- there wasn't- they wrote one?" he asked her with comically wide eyes. "Holy shit, Mia. I thought you were lying!"

"Dad and Orion met and wrote one up. It's dependent on our agreement, but it's there, and I need it."

Sirius looked to Regulus, who gave him a small, pleading look for barely a moment, just long enough for Sirius to see. "Fuck. Fine. Okay, fine. I'll do it."

"We can take everything to Black Manor," she suggested. "Do the ritual for you and your heir there."

"I never said-,"

"Sirius this is important," she insisted. "When the war is over, there's going to be a power struggle. It's incredibly important to have you and Jamie on the Wizengamot to fight new laws and remove old ones. Particularly old ones made by Umbridge against werewolves."

The slightly manipulative sentence dug at Sirius and he sighed. "Fine. But you're my heir."

She screwed up her face. "No. I'm not a Black."

Sirius raised an eyebrow and she could tell he was laughing at her now. Without words, he raised his arm and pulled down his sleeve. Her eyes fell on his wrist.

"Fuck," she muttered, blinking at the black band around his wrist. "Stop laughing at me."

"Nope."

"Do they always argue like that?" Harry asked James, having moved away from the loud pair when they started yelling. James rolled his eyes.

"Not always. They're actually very sweet. Usually it's Mia and Regulus bickering. Sometimes, like now, Mia and Sirius just clash. It's always funny."

"Betrothal," Harry muttered. "I know that word. What does it mean?"

"They're engaged," a very pale Ron said. He looked confused and slightly dizzy. Most of the room had begun talking amongst themselves when Mia had brought up lords and heirs, but Ron had watched in wonder the entire time.

"They're not engaged," Gideon rolled his eyes at his nephew. "The contract was written up and likely signed but never confirmed by the pair of them. When it is, whatever the contract says will be put into place."

"That could mean two years of dating, one year, or immediate engagement. But knowing Charlus Potter, it was probably more dependant on her and Regulus and what they want," Fabian finished for his brother. "It's mainly to protect any assets involved, like a muggle prenup."

"We'll discuss that later," Mia finally snapped at Sirius, who was openly laughing at her now. "Can we please move on?"

"She's going to hex you," Regulus warned Sirius. "Remember when you insulted me and her both?"

Sirius winced a little, remembering the incident very clearly. "Fine."

"Okay. So first thing, I'd like to go to Potter Manor and handle all of that since it'll take awhile to lower the death fidelius and then we can take care of lord and heir. After that, we'll head to… Grimmauld Place…" she trailed off, her eyes landing on her boyfriend. "Oh, boy."

"What?" he asked, suddenly very confused.

"Kreacher."

He paled, the memory coming back to him. He'd told Kreacher to take the real locket and destroy it. He'd forgotten, of course he'd forgotten, that Kreacher would be unable to. He'd already drank the potion and his mind had been a mess. The moment his elf had left, he'd used his ring. "It's been years."

"He was nicer to us after we promised to destroy it," she admitted. "But Walburga really twisted that poor elf."

"Destroy what?" Sirius asked. "Kreacher isn't a poor elf. He's evil. He called you a mudblood every day for a full summer, Mia."

She fixed him with a very Hermione glare, one he'd gotten every time he mistreated the elf. "He was twisted by your deranged mother. He loves Regulus. Luckily for you, you're not his master anymore."

"Thank fuck."

"Right, so… we take care of both families and then we can move on. I have someone I need to find-,"

"It's not worth it," Regulus spoke up. "We don't need him."

"We might, and even so, I'd like to make sure he's okay."

"He's the reason-,"

"He is not," she snapped at him harshly. "His mind was invaded by Riddle. It was my fault for going to the raid to begin with, now can we drop it? I'm going to find him."

"What are they talking about?" Ron asked James in a whisper.

"Mia collected Death Eaters," he explained while the couple argued. "She had one named Samson Dodd. You-Know-Who used Legillimency to find out Mia was from the future and then when he captured her, he told her that Dodd had willingly told him about her. Sirius was there when she confronted him. It was nasty, but in the end, it wasn't his fault. Regulus just wants someone to blame."

"I don't _want_ someone to blame because I know it's his fault," Regulus shot back at James, who shrugged in response.

"Anyways!" Mia got everyone's attention again. "I'm going to pass out Galleons to everyone. Get them to as many Order members and people of the Light as possible. That includes recent graduates like Lee Jordan and Angelina and Katie Bell. Get them to whoever you can."

"Why?" Remus asked her, flipping his Galleon in his hands.

"Because I'll be sending information I get from my Death Eaters to you. And sometime soon, I'll send a time and place and that will be it. It'll be on our terms, where and when we say so."

"The end?" Harry asked her with wide eyes. She nodded once.

"I'll give a short list of people that I absolutely want to get one of these. Ron, do you think you and the twins - sorry, Fred and George - can get these out to the recent graduates and anyone that skipped school this year?"

"We can do that."

"Remus," she hummed. "Andromeda and Ted Tonks and anyone they can think of… Sirius, is Alphard still-,"

"No," he interrupted. "He died a couple years after you left."

Her face fell. She knew he was the only one Sirius had connected with, aside from Regulus. "I'm sorry."

"It was a long time ago."

"Um…" she bit her lip and turned to Harry. "Aberforth Dumbledore. He runs the Hog's Head in Hogsmeade. Do you think you can find a way to get into contact with him?"

"Probably not," Ron spoke up. "Mum said that Hogsmeade is filled to the brim with Death Eaters and traps."

"I'll have a friend do it, then," she decided tiredly. She truthfully didn't want to ask Draco to do anything, and Blaise was too absent minded to trust with something so important, which left her with Theo if she were to decide on one of the three. "Right. I'll get to Bulgaria and ask Viktor if he and his friends can help, and I'll head over and see if Fleur can ask her friends and family to help, too."

"You're trying to build an army," Remus realized suddenly. She looked at him with a small smile.

"He already has his. I'm just playing catch up."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **April 20th, 1998**

 **Potter Manor**

The next morning after a small breakfast provided by Mia's loving elves, they set out. James, Sirius, Harry, and Mia all apparated to the edge of Potter Manor's wards. They were immediately confused.

"I don't understand," James stared at the very visible house ahead of them. "Mum and Dad set a death fidelius."

"Harry," Mia looked at her friend. "You didn't know your grandparents, did you?"

"Aunt Petunia always said they died shortly after mum and dad," he shrugged.

Curious, Mia put her hand up and cautiously pressed it forward. She felt magic warp around it, allowing her in. She gasped and took a step forward, disappearing behind the wards.

"Mione?" Harry asked in surprise.

"It's okay, pup," Sirius put a hand on his shoulder. "It's the wards. They let her in. We can't see her but she can see us."

"Oh, like the ones she put up around the tent," he relaxed. "But you said-,"

"I don't know," James shook his head before stepping through the wards as well and coming to a stop at Mia's side. He took her hand, staring with wide eyes at the large house in front of them. "What happened to them?"

"I don't know," she shook her head, leaning it against his shoulder. "Harry never told me anything. The extent of his knowledge was about you and Lily."

"Something is wrong," Sirius said as he pulled himself and Harry through the wards. "It shouldn't be like this."

Mia and James exchanged a look before the four of them walked across the lawn. The door was large and oak, and beautiful. James waved his hand over the door handle and, accepting his magic as family magic, it opened and let them inside.

Mia felt sick as she stepped in. It was perfect. It looked like nothing had changed. She fingered her Potter bracelet on her wrist, pain in her heart. Such a large part of her wished she'd never left. This was her home. Her parents had lived here, her brothers had lived here. There were memories in the place, and it was overwhelming to be back.

"Something is wrong," James said just as Sirius had.

"Let's just… look for the rings," she suggested shakily. The three men with her agreed, and they made their way up the stairs together to go to James's old room where he'd left the ring. When he opened the door, Mia looked around in disbelief. "It hasn't changed at all."

"Mum and Dad said they wanted to leave it in case I wanted to come stay," he told her, running his fingers along some books. Harry was turning in circles looking around the room when he stopped short.

"Is that _blood_?" he asked, pointing at the headboard on the bed. The three turned to look at it, and Mia and James shared a look.

"It is," James nodded. "Bad day."

"Whose blood?"

"Sirius's," Mia told him with a frown.

"Harry," Sirius called, his voice serious. The boy turned to look at his godfather, confused. "I told you about the day that my cousin tried to torture me into becoming a Death Eater?"

"Yes, but not much. What happened?"

"Mia saved me," he told him firmly. Mia shook her head, and he spoke again before she could interrupt. "She gave me a portkey straight to Potter Manor. Gave one to Reg, too. She knew what was going to happen, so she saved my life."

"I was there when he got here," she said in a soft voice, remembering the feeling in her gut when she'd caught sight of Sirius near dead on the floor. "I held him until Dad took him to St Mungo's."

"Mum sent us to bed after that," James continued. "Mia didn't change clothes, so she got blood in my bed."

"She sent you to bed… together?"

Mia scoffed. "Sorry, you see your best friend, your brother cut in half and shaking from torture and try sleeping alone."

Harry threw his hands in the air. "Sorry."

"Like I said. Bad day," James told his son as he moved to the bedside table and opened a drawer, picking up a silver and red ring. "Got it. Now we just have to find Dad's."

They split up for the project. Charlus didn't wear the ring every day, just when there was a Wizengamot meeting or when he was at home. He didn't like to wear it out. He'd said that he saw no point in wearing a stuffy old ring everywhere.

James and Harry took the first floor while Sirius and Mia went down to the basement. It was a large, open room with family artifacts and heirlooms. It was generally a giant mess and was overwhelming to look at.

" _Accio_ Potter Lord ring," Sirius tried, pouting when nothing happened. Mia laughed quietly at him as she looked around the tables surrounding her. Most things were bigger, and she moved across the room to where she spotted some boxes, one of which was a silver jewelry box. There were a few necklaces and two pairs of earrings inside, but no rings. She sighed in annoyance. It was going to take a good while.

"Mia!" Sirius yelled in panic. She pushed off of the table she was leaning against and ran over to him, stopping short when she saw what he was looking at.

"Oh my god," she whispered, her hands flying to her mouth at the sight in front of them. "Oh my god."

Sirius put his shaking hand out in front of him and used his borrowed wand to run diagnostic spells while Mia kneeled down.

In front of her were the bodies of Dorea and Charlus Potter, looking almost exactly the same as when she'd last seen them. Untouched and uninjured.

"It's a- holy shit," he breathed. "It's just the stasis spell."

"You can't- can you put those on people?"

Sirius shook his head, unsure. "I've only seen it done on injuries, not an entire person."

Mia pressed her hand to Charlus's chest, her shoulders shaking as she fought back tears. Very carefully, she lifted the spell, holding her breath and waiting.

And she waited.

And waited.

And then he opened his eyes.

"Oh my god," she let out a cry, grabbing him in a tight hug before he could even tell what was going on. Beside her, she felt Sirius drop to his knees frantically and removed the spell from Dorea.

"Mia," Charlus greeted, gently pushing her away so he could sit up and hug her back. "You're back."

She pulled out of the hug again and waved her hand, a fox appearing in front of her. "Jamie and Harry. Get to the basement _now_. It's Mum and Dad."

She watched the fox run away and stood, holding her hand out to Charlus, who accepted it gratefully. Sirius had already gotten Dorea on her feet and the pair stood in front of their parents with wide eyes and tears.

"I don't… understand," Sirius breathed, looking between his parents. "You're _alive_."

"Mia?" James called as he got to the bottom of the stairs. "Mia!"

"Over here," she yelled back, her voice shaking. He rushed over with Harry hot on his heels, confused. James stopped short as his parents came into view, and Harry nearly slammed into him.

"Mum? Dad?"

"Oh, my children," Dorea shook her head, looking between them and noting that Fred was missing. "I'm so very sorry."

"What happened?" Sirius asked her, his voice tight. Mia understood. He was confused and probably angry.

"Why don't we get upstairs and talk," Charlus suggested lightly.

"No," Sirius glared at him. "Now."

"Sirius Orion, you do not talk to your father like that," Dorea looked at her son in surprise. "We will go upstairs and rest and then we will catch up."

"Harry," James turned around to look at his son. "Send a Patronus to Remus. Tell him to come to Potter Manor immediately… Fred and Regulus too, while you're at it."

"Is that…"

"Your grandparents," Mia confirmed without looking back at him. "I just don't understand _how_."

"Harry James," Dorea whispered, stepping aside to look at him. "Oh, Mia has told us so much about you."

"She- what?" Harry blinked, looking to Mia. "You did?"

She just nodded numbly. Two more losses that she'd expected to mourn and they were just… there.

"Everyone upstairs," Charlus ordered. "I'll have Tilly get us some lunch. I don't know about you, but I'm famished."

Mia stared in shock and felt laughter bubble up. He was _hungry_.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Thirty minutes later and they'd had a quiet lunch of sandwiches before Remus, Fred, and Regulus had arrived together. The group sat in a circle of couches and chairs, waiting for the older couple to explain.

"So," Dorea began, glancing at her daughter. "It started when you died, Mia. Vold-,"

"No!" Sirius, James, Remus, Fred, Regulus, Harry, and Mia yelled together.

"You can't say his name," Mia told her desperately.

"You always encouraged the use of his name," Charlus looked at her in confusion.

"But it's cursed now," Harry explained. "You say it and the Snatchers will show up and kill us."

"Oh, my," Dorea shook her head sadly. "Well, in that case, Riddle knew you were from the future and he had you killed."

"Yes, I remember," she said with as little anger as possible. It wasn't as if she'd forgotten, and she was getting impatient.

"He moved onto your friends and family," she explained. "He assumed, rightly so, that you'd told others about the future."

"She's right," Regulus spoke up with a frown. "He dug through my mind for three days trying to make sure I didn't know anything. He didn't get anything from me."

"Lucius tried to do the same with me," Sirius added.

"Yes," Dorea nodded. "Which is how we knew he'd be coming for us. Well, we stayed home as long as we could, but one day, shortly after… James, we received news that Riddle wanted us killed as well. So, we had the elves stop our hearts and start them again just as a stasis charm was being placed, so it seemed as if we'd died before they got here for us."

"And they just left you there?" James gaped.

"No, no," Charlus shook his head. "That was our idea. We had no clue when it'd be safe again, so we ordered the elves to care for the house and keep us safe but to leave us otherwise until someone came and found us."

"I was in Azkaban for twelve years," Sirius told them with a low voice. "I thought you hated me."

Charlus shared a horrified look with Dorea. "We had a meeting with Dumbledore before any of this and gave him proof that you were innocent. The ritual you and James used means you can never betray one another. He didn't-,"

Mia stood abruptly, shoving her chair back, and walked peacefully out of the room and up the stairs to her bedroom, where she began throwing curses and hexes at everything in sight, yelling some rather disgusting curse words while she was at it.

Regulus followed her, ducking to avoid a bombarda that hit the vanity sitting against the wall. He grabbed her from behind, gently but firmly pushing her arms to her sides. "He's dead, love. He's dead and he can't hurt anyone anymore."

"I want to kill him. I want to go back in time and kill him," she growled angrily.

"I know," he soothed, rubbing her arms as he led her out of her destroyed bedroom and back down to the living room, where Harry looked at her in shock.

"I don't understand. Dumbledore could've-,"

"Harry," Mia said harshly. "Dumbledore could've proven Sirius didn't do it, he could've pardoned him while he was in Azkaban, he could've pardoned him while he was in the tower at Hogwarts, and he could've done it any fucking time after that. He wanted to keep your _godfather_ away from you so you'd have to stay with the Dursley's and uphold the blood wards, which weren't fucking the strongest thing that could've protected you! Potter Manor _and_ Black Manor, not to mention Grimmauld Place, all have _much_ stronger wards than your fucking muggle aunt and uncle."

"Mia," Dorea called. When she looked at her mum, she saw the same furious and deadly fire in the older woman's eyes, and it calmed her for some reason she didn't understand. "What's done is done."

"I suppose it is," she said, although she didn't sound any less furious. She took her seat once more and waited.

"So," Charlus looked between them. "What about you?"

"What do you want to know?" Remus asked when no one else spoke.

"Well, since my kids don't feel like telling me, what happened with James?" Dorea asked. "Let's start there."

"Mia," James said, like it was obvious. "After you took Sirius to the hospital, you sent us to bed and we talked. She told me I was going to die and made me swear on my magic that I'd save myself."

"That's our girl," Charlus winked at Mia.

"And Harry went to Petunia," Dorea made a face of disgust.

"I did," he confirmed slowly. Everyone seemed extremely angry for him and what happened in his childhood, and it was an odd feeling, especially now that he knew he was never supposed to go to his aunt and uncle under any circumstances.

"Remus," Charlus looked to the werewolf. "What happened to you?"

"I got married," he told him proudly.

"Before that, Moony," Sirius laughed shortly. "You had a life before Mini Tonks."

"Tonks?" Dorea blinked at Remus. "Andromeda's girl?"

"That's the one," Remus winced. "I know there's an age gap, but-,"

"No, no," Dorea shook her head. "I think it's wonderful. She's your mate?"

"Of course."

"Mia, my dear," Charlus called, gaining her attention once more. "Tell us about the war."

She sucked in a deep breath, squeezing Sirius's hand within her own. Fred seemed jittery and she didn't blame him - he was happy to have them back, but he clearly missed his twin, who he had only just returned to. Mia didn't blame him for being unable or unwilling to participate in the conversation. "Okay, well… I suppose everyone in this room might as well know what we're looking for, because _fuck_ Dumbledore."

"Mia," Dorea scolded lightly, though she didn't truly mean it. She agreed wholeheartedly.

"Riddle made horcruxes," she told them, watching as Remus, James, Charlus, and Dorea looked at her in horror. Sirius, however, just nodded quietly, much to her confusion. "Sirius?"

"I knew."

" _How_?"

"The first day of class with you," he reminded her, nodding at her beaded bag. " _Dark Artifacts of the Soul_. I slipped it into my bag and read the pages you'd marked. It was my first hint that something was very off - it had come from my mother's library."

"Because you gave it to me," she agreed. "That's how you knew to give it to me?"

"Someone had to and there was no one else there to do it."

"Right," she shook her head, surprised that he'd known for so long. "Okay. Well, we've gotten rid of some of them, and I have one more in my possession ready to be destroyed. The remaining ones are his snake, Nagini, and something of Ravenclaw's. I think it's her diadem, but no one has seen it in years."

"So how many are there total?" Remus asked her.

"Seven," she said, looking to a nervous Harry. "Harry is one of them."

"Fuck," Sirius hissed. "At the meeting, you said-,"

"And I swear he'll be okay," she repeated. "Riddle has to kill him and then he'll come back. Severus and I did research on this."

"So you have to destroy these horcruxes before he can die," Dorea hummed. "How have you gone about that so far?"

Mia looked to Harry, a horrible thought slipping into her mind. "The sword of Gryffindor, but Bellatrix took it when she- when we saw her."

"How are we going to destroy it?" he asked her. "We can't go back for it. Riddle knows you're alive."

"I don't suppose anyone here is able to control Fiendfyre?" she asked, sighing. It was an incredibly difficult spell to control and often killed the user before they could handle it.

"I can," Regulus told her. Her head shot up and she looked at him with wide eyes.

"You _can_?"

"Mum tried to teach both of us," Sirius explained. "She stopped teaching me when I burned down our home in Norway."

"But I mastered it," Regulus confirmed. "All we need it a clear space and the cup."

"We can do it today, then," Mia breathed out gratefully. "Good."

"And what about the Order?" Charlus questioned. "Dumbledore is dead. Who leads it now?"

"Kingsley Shacklebolt," Remus answered him. "The Order has gone down in size somewhat since it's been targeted by Death Eaters, but Mia is working on fixing that."

"It'll end soon," she explained. "In a few days, maybe less. I'm trying to get things in order. When it does happen, Riddle will still want to kill Harry, but he'll want to fight me in the end. He knows what I am and he knows I'm alive, which means I'm his biggest threat right now."

"And you're going to do it?"

She shrugged. "Avery told me that the ritual he performed to come back was never completed. His desperate need to be the one to kill Harry got in the way of a full resurrection. As soon as we destroy the Horcruxes, he'll be relatively easy to kill. Nothing aside from his weak physical body and the Horcruxes is keeping him alive."

Charlus frowned at her, scratching his beard. "I don't like this. Neither of you should face him. Let someone more prepared do it."

"Dad, I'm sorry, but truthfully, Harry and I are more prepared than anyone else. I have more raw power and he has more experience. It has to be us."

"Can we go back to the thing about Harry dying real quick," James requested, frowning deeply now that he knew _why_ he had to die.

"He really will come back," she promised.

" _How_?"

"Who here has done in depth research on the killing curse?" Mia asked. Only Charlus and Dorea signalled that they had. "What exactly does it do?"

"It separates the magical core and soul from the body instantly," Dorea told her.

"Without the two, you'd die. That's why there's no fixing it or defending yourself - you can't get those things back."

"So tell me what would happen if there was a secondary core and a secondary soul inside of someone."

Both of her parents hesitated.

"I'd imagine the one that isn't meant to be there would die and the other would remain safe." Charlus spoke slowly. "I see your point."

"'Neither can live while the other survives,'" Mia quoted calmly. "You can't live because you've got his soul inside of you. He can't kill you because of the same reason, because it would help to kill him. The only solution is to kill that part of his core, his soul."

"And you're sure he'd come back?" Remus asked, his voice tight. Mia nodded sharply.

"I only stumbled upon the research," she admitted. "I didn't desire to learn more about the unforgivables after Crouch Jr, not to mention… everything else, but while looking for a book to help Sirius, I found one. It made me more curious about Harry, so Severus and I researched Horcruxes as well because nothing else made sense. There's no proof, but I'm certain. He'll come back."

Everyone was silent for a long minute before Dorea frowned. "Crouch Jr? As in Barty's son?"

"Yes," Harry scowled.

"What did he do?"

As they launched into describing their fourth year, Mia found everyone listening. Fred had been there, so he helped give his point of view, which mostly consisted of pranking the disguised Death Eater. Remus and Sirius knew, of course, but it was one thing to know about it and another to be told the whole story. James and their parents were rightfully livid, only calming down on the assurances that he'd been promptly sent back to Azkaban.

"Well, what else is there to do?" James asked Mia. "Maybe we can help."

She considered the question, listing things off in her mind. "We need to destroy the cup, first. Then, I'd like to find Dodd if there's time. I won't pull him back into the war, but I'd like him to know that I'm back. If he's in America, it's likely he didn't get my Patronus. I have to check in with my Death Eaters, all of them if possible, and get an update on immediate threats aside from Riddle himself. We also need to do the Lord and heir rituals and retrieve the papers from the safe. I have to get to Aberforth, I'd like to get into Hogwarts ahead of time and help evacuate as many students as possible that will go. I imagine I'll have to explain everything to the DA as well… am I missing anything?"

"That's enough for now," Sirius shook his head at her in disbelief. "Let's destroy the cup first."

"Okay. Let's destroy the cup."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **April 19th, 1998**

 **Malfoy Manor**

"My Lord," Narcissa greeted Voldemort, her gut churning with anxiety. She'd been dreading the day for years. For awhile, she hadn't thought it would come, but she'd always known. She'd been told that when it ended, it wouldn't truly be over. And it was true. He'd come back, and they were once more stuck in the same position. She'd always blamed her father, though a small part of her knew it was her own fault for the position she was in. On dark days, like the day Hermione Granger had been tortured, she'd wished that she'd followed Andromeda away from their family and found someone she truly loved. Still, she knew that if she'd done that, she wouldn't have Draco. He was the only reason she kept hanging on. She needed him, and apparently, so did the war. So, she'd stayed where she was at, miserable, but with a sliver of hope.

"Narcissa," Voldemort looked to her. He was in a meeting with Bella, of course. It was happening more and more, and it made her suspicious. There were a few underlings scattered around the room, most of them Narcissa didn't know. "I hope this is important enough to interrupt me."

"It is, my lord," she promised, bowing her head to avoid eye contact as she always did. "I've heard a rumor that… I'm very sorry, but there is a rumor that Mia Potter is back."

There was silence, even from Bellatrix. Narcissa wanted to throw up. She knew Voldemort liked to shoot the messenger.

In the softest voice she'd ever heard, Voldemort whispered to her. "Bring me Dolohov."

She nodded once and rushed out of the room, gasping for breath. So far, she'd made it. If she was lucky, he'd take out his frustrations on Dolohov. She despised the man. He was disgusting. He did horrible things to anyone Voldemort wanted to truly hurt. She ducked into a the room she'd last seen him and choked slightly on the thick smell of blood. "Dolohov, the dark lord would like to see you."

Dolohov said nothing, but he did follow her back to the large room that used to be the ballroom where Voldemort waited. It was a short walk, and she closed the doors behind them as they entered.

" _Crucio_!" Voldemort screamed. Dolohov slammed to the ground, though he took the punishment silently. It was hard to punish him as he often enjoyed the pain. Still, Voldemort seemed to really mean it. Narcissa almost wondered what exactly he'd found in Mia's mind that scared him so much, even now. When he lifted the curse, Dolohov was kneeling on the floor in front of him.

"Thank you, my lord."

"Mia Potter," Voldemort spat angrily. Dolohov's head shot up, his eyes wide with excitement. The sight made Narcissa sick. It had been no secret how he'd been obsessed with her, nor what he'd done to her. He'd once gotten ahold of Hermione Granger, according to Bella, and she certainly didn't want to know what he'd done to the young girl then. "She is alive. I was under the impression that you killed her. I told you to kill her!"

"I did, my lord," Dolohov promised hurriedly. "I couldn't say how she survived. Would you like me to kill her again?"

Voldemort's lips thinned. He was obviously furious with Dolohov, but it seemed he was angrier with Mia. "I'd like you to find her and torture her until I tell you to stop."

"Of course, my lord."

"My lord," Bella interrupted. "Can I be of service?"

He seemed to consider her question, which was obviously a request. "Yes. Both of you look for her. Both of you will work on her."

"Thank you, my lord," Bella smiled gratefully.

Narcissa backed out of the room silently, wondering if Mia knew exactly what she'd gotten herself into. Still, it wasn't her problem. So she backed into the shadows once more, hiding from the spotlight and staying out of trouble the way she had been for twenty years now.

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	18. Preparing

**April 20th, 1998**

Sirius, James, Mia, and Regulus stood in the large clearing behind Potter Manor. The cup was sitting on a rock with Regulus standing in front of it, twisting his wand in his hand while they got in position. There had been a short argument over who would be present after Harry and Mia had described the destruction of the Horcruxes so far. Sirius and James had been trained in containing fiendfyre as aurors, and they'd insisted on being there to control the area just in case. All three boys shouted at Mia when she said she'd be coming, but when she pointed out that Regulus had just gone through the cave for the locket the day before, they reluctantly admitted that whatever he'd be shown, she might be useful in disproving.

With Sirius and James on the sides with their wands out and already casting the containment spell and Mia behind Regulus, he sucked in a deep breath and cast the spell. The effect was instantaneous. Water rushed out of it at impossible speeds. It was quickly clear that it wasn't real water by the way that the fire didn't boil it away. An image showed up, flying toward Regulus. A large and unsettlingly realistic image of Mia lying bloody on the ground showed up. Water rushed around her, showing her a room that looked eerily like the Veil room. She could hear a voice, her voice, crying out in pain and begging for release. It was painful to hear, and she only hoped it wasn't a real memory.

Regulus screamed, recasting the spell and destroying the cup fully. The water dropped to the ground and disappeared, leaving all four of them a little bit wet. Regulus dropped to the ground and Mia rushed forward, wrapping her arms around him. He leaned against her, burying his face into her neck while Sirius and James made their way to the cup to ensure it was really destroyed.

"I'm here, I'm okay," she whispered, stroking his back gently with her fingers. "Everything is okay, Reg."

Sirius jogged back over, the cup levitating ahead of him. "It's dead. What do you wanna do with _this_?"

"Get rid of it," she suggested lightly. Regulus pulled back from the hug and grabbed her hand. He looked pale and while she was worried, she knew it wasn't the time. Even if she tried comforting him, he'd just tell her to focus. There was too much to do.

The group made their way back inside to find Remus had gone home to get Tonks and her parents and Harry had left to get the Weasleys. Charlus and Dorea had offered their home for the Order. It was more than big enough, and safer. No one knew they were alive. As far as the Death Eaters were aware, every Potter that could access the place was dead.

Sirius tossed the cup into a trash can and paced over to the table in the small room off of the kitchen. "So, what next? Dodd?"

"Not yet," Mia gave him a hesitant smile. "We have to go confirm you as Lord Black."

"Can't we just… _not_?"

She shook her head, pulling her beaded bag back over her shoulder, having set it down before they'd gone outside. "We should hurry, though. When we'd gone back, Sev hadn't told them about it, but it's been awhile. A Death Eater caught us while escaping the Ministry and caught sight of it. Ron actually got splinched when we apparated out so quick after that. We need to be careful. Get the rings and papers and get out."

"How can you be sure they won't still be there?" James asked her with a frown.

"I can't really," she admitted. "But it's been months since we've been there and I doubt they'd think we're stupid enough to go back."

"But we are."

"...yeah."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Sirius let go of James right before Regulus apparated Mia inside. It was dark and dustier than it had been the last time he'd been there, which to him, was only days earlier. Kreacher was nowhere obvious, much to his relief.

"The next issue is how to get into Orion's office," Mia muttered as the group climbed the stairs, wands out as they kept watch for anyone waiting for them. As they reached the third floor, they took a sharp turn to the first door on the left.

"Since both are dead, their personal wards should've fallen. I haven't truthfully given a shit about the room," Sirius shrugged at her. "So I never tried to go inside."

Mia waved him on impatiently and he made a rather childish face at her as he stepped over and opened the door. A shimmer of magic fell over him as he entered the room. It disappeared completely by the time James followed him in.

It had been over twenty years since he'd been in the room. It was much the same as before. There were a few files of papers on the desk, but not much else. It was an elegant room, nothing like the rest of the house. It was full of dark, polished wood and warm colors, no black. As a child, it had been one of Sirius's favorite places. He'd hide out in there from his studies when he needed a break.

"Well, let's hurry," Sirius muttered, moving around the desk to the safe while Regulus fingered the papers, looking through the files with his brow furrowed.

"Mia," he called. She looked to her boyfriend curiously. "What did you tell my father about the day you died or the other attacks?"

She blinked in surprise, thinking. "Not much, really. Why?"

"He has files on Dolohov, Bellatrix, Rebastan, and Tom Riddle. Extensive files. Did he know…?"

She shook her head but stopped, remembering the ball. "I mean… he interrupted my dance with Dolohov. He said I looked uncomfortable, scared."

"Bella?" Regulus pushed.

"I'm not sure. I didn't _tell_ him. Perhaps he saw…?" she bit her lip, rubbing her arm. "I can't imagine I lifted my sleeve, but Marlene and Emmaline saw it on accident one day, so it's possible."

"What's in the files?" James asked, looking over Regulus' shoulder while Sirius listened and kept working on the wards around the safe.

"A detailed list of everything he's witnessed Bella do, for one," Regulus threw a glance at Sirius. "Including attacking and torturing the heir of an Ancient and Noble House for hours. There's a note, it says… it says he put vials of memories in the safe as well. I'd imagine it's the same for Rebastan…"

"And… Dolohov?" Mia asked in a small voice. Regulus took a deep breath and flipped open the file again, tensing as he read, his lips thinning into an angry line. "Reg?"

"Sirius, open the safe," Regulus snapped, his voice tight.

"I'm trying," Sirius growled back, flicking his wand as he removed another ward.

"Regulus, what's in there?" Mia asked again, louder.

"Sirius!" Regulus yelled. "Now!"

His brother didn't respond, working silently for another few seconds before he took a step back, the safe door swinging open. Before Sirius could look inside, Regulus pushed his way over, pulling out a small, clear bag of vials that contained memories. He slammed them on the table and began searching through them until he found a small pile that had 'Dolohov' written on the side.

"Regulus!" Mia grabbed his arm, forcing his attention to her. "Answer me!"

"Mia," he said slowly, sucking in a sharp breath as he rolled the vials around in his hands. "My father did something despicable to get this evidence. I'm getting rid of it."

" _What is it_?"

Regulus set the vials down on the desk and took her face in his hands. Sirius and James were watching now, both equally concerned. "Mia, the mind is a delicate thing. In the file for Dolohov, he'd written two letters. One to the Wizengamot and one to you."

"Me?"

"An apology letter," he confirmed, looking as if it was all he could do to contain his anger. "For trying to enter your mind without permission and then when he couldn't, he…" Regulus closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "My father slipped you Veritiserum and asked you as many questions as he could. When he'd figured out what happened, he tried once more to slip into your mind. Veritiserum often temporarily disrupts mental barriers, so it was easy. He took the memories of everything that happened to you, and when he was done, he took you home and Obliviated you."

Mia stared at him numbly. She'd trusted Orion. Every time they met, he only worried for her and for his sons. He did everything he could to help her, and he'd cared about what happened to his children before what happened to his House. To hear that he'd done that… she wasn't sure what to think. All she could think about was the way Voldemort had waited until she couldn't resist and had slipped into her mind. It made her sick.

"Don't get rid of them."

" _Excuse me_?" Regulus stared at her. "Mia, you know what's in here. It's _everything_ he did to you. All of it. Intended to be shown to the Wizengamot for evidence."

"I- I know," she shook her head at him. "I don't know what I want to do yet, okay? Just don't get rid of them… can we just… get the things and go?"

"Of course, kitten," Sirius rubbed her arm, turning back to the safe. He was furious, but it was the last thing she needed. She was hurt and scared, and talking more about it would do nothing to help. Without the vials in the safe, there was only a single file labeled 'Regulus' and the rings. Trying not to cringe, he plucked the rings out of the safe and pocketed them, handing the papers over to Regulus, who held them with reverence with one hand, his other one held tightly within Mia's.

"Ready?" He asked, looking at his small family. They all nodded and quickly moved back to Potter Manor together.

Harry walked into the room, rubbing a DA galleon between his fingers, a thoughtful look on his face. "I asked Luna how they're getting in and out of the castle."

Mia's face lit up, pushing the news she'd just received to the back of her mind. They had more important things to focus on. "Really? How?"

"Turns out it's just Aberforth," he told her. "He's got a portrait that has a tunnel straight into the Room of Requirement. That's how they get supplies and smuggle students in and out of school. She said that if we can find a safe way there, he can get us the rest of the way."

"That's incredible!" Mia grinned, hugging him tightly. "One less thing to figure out. After we take care of the Black House, we can go over there and work on evacuating. It'll be tough with Death Eaters still inside, but Draco can help."

Harry scowled at her. "I'm still not sure about him, Mione. He's always been cruel to us."

"So was Sev, but I made him do that," she pointed out. "He genuinely hates Ron, but he doesn't mind us."

"What other Death Eaters did you grab?" he asked skeptically. She rolled her eyes at him.

"Theodore Nott and Blaise Zabini."

Harry shook his head. "At least it wasn't Crabbe and Goyle."

Mia screwed up her face in disgust. "Ew."

"Kitten," Sirius got her attention, looking sick. "Do we _have_ to do this? We'll have plenty of political leverage with Dad."

Mia fixed him with a stern look. "It's not just about politics, Sirius. Once you reclaim the House of Black, you and your heir - Regulus - will be able to call upon the House magic, which is about ten times stronger than regular magic being channeled through a wand."

"Hey, I said _you_ would be the heir," Sirius replied.

She shrugged. "I thought about it, but Reg has prepared his entire life for this. I'm sure I'll gain a seat for one reason or another. Don't limit our options in the future, Sirius."

"Fine, let's just hurry," Sirius pouted, plucking a ring from the counter. Mia put her hand on his arm, lowering it back down.

"We have to do it on Black property," she reminded him.

"But we did the heir ritual in the middle of Diagon Alley!"

Mia and Harry both blinked at him, though it was Harry that spoke. " _Why_?"

"Walburga was threatening to kill me and make Reg the heir instead," he made a face at them. "Orion did the ritual right there just to keep me alive."

"Right…" Mia shook her head. She had a feeling he didn't even realize that what he'd said was so terrifying. "One of you know where Black Manor is, right?"

"We've both been there," Regulus confirmed for her, grabbing her hand. Sirius took James' and went to apparate, but Harry stopped him.

"I'd like to come," he told them hurriedly. Sirius shrugged and put a hand on his godson's shoulder and sent them away.

They appeared in a large library, and the sight made Mia's heart skip a beat. It was possibly the biggest personal library she'd ever seen. Regulus slipped his hand out of hers and she watched him move to a nearby table with Sirius, who summoned an old looking knife and set it on the table with the rings. A basin-like bowl sat in front of them as well, and it all looked very official and ritualistic.

"So, what exactly do you… do?" Harry wondered, standing at his father's side to watch them work.

"We'll need someone to officiate," Sirius glanced between James and Mia before settling on James, who nodded once and moved forward. "James is the only one here that knows it already."

"Aw, thanks, Pads," James rolled his eyes. "I love being picked by default."

" _Anyway_ ," Regulus looked to Harry. "James will recite the incantation and tell us the Vow we'll take, which… we should probably write beforehand."

"It's not the same every time?" Mia wondered curiously. All three pureblood raised boys shook their heads.

"It's dependent on the state of the family, mostly," James explained to her. "As well as the goals for the family under that leadership, or in the case of the heir, the hopes for the future."

"For generations, the Black family has had the same Vow," Sirius said, placing his wand on the table next to Regulus's. "It talks about purity and keeping it in the family. Lots of stuff about oppression, too. A real buzzkill, honestly. I figure we need a new one."

"If we're the only ones to run this family," Mia nodded firmly. "We should turn it around completely."

After that, the two Black brothers set to work writing the new Vows. While they did that, Mia browsed the large library around them. She came to a stop at a peculiarly labeled section that caught her eye - Light/Dark Lords and Ladies and Legendaries. She bit her lip and stepped closer, plucking a book from the shelf. It seemed to be written by the same person that had written the book on Horcruxes she'd found. She slipped it into her beaded bag for later, continuing to walk. There was a book sitting on a table at the end of a row, and she flipped it over, glaring at it when she saw it was Tales of Beedle the Bard. She opened it, noting the initials - OPB. She grabbed it, walking back over to where Regulus and Sirius were just finishing up.

"Who is OPB?" she asked them curiously. She'd done research on the Black line, but most books didn't include their middle names, the entire reason it had taken them so long to realize Regulus was RAB.

Both boys gave her an odd look.

"That's my father," Regulus explained, his voice tight once more. "Orion Pollux Black." Mia frowned deeper, holding up the book to show them.

"That's odd," Sirius muttered. "He never liked fairy tales or bedtime stories."

She bit her lip. She'd talked to Ollivander before being sent away. He'd made it clear enough that he believed in the tale of the three brothers, and so had Xenophilius Lovegood. While she was skeptical, she also had experienced enough impossible things to not rule it out completely.

"Dumbledore seemed to think these stories were important," she admitted reluctantly.

"Do you think Orion was looking into the Deathly Hollows, too?" Harry asked her curiously. She frowned at him, unsure.

"He might've… seen it in my mind, but it sounded like he was mostly working on finding evidence against Death Eaters," she suggested. "I suppose it's like the prophecy. It doesn't matter what we think about it. Riddle obviously believes in it, and on the off chance that it is true and he does have the Elder Wand… I think it's important we prepare for that."

"You're not seriously suggesting that we all sit in a circle and read a children's book, are you?" Sirius asked her in disbelief. She just shrugged.

"Right," James drawled. "Well, if we can move on, please. We all have things to do, Mia Mine."

"Of course," she shook her head and stood next to Harry. Sirius and Regulus stood on opposite sides of the circular table with James in the middle. The Lord ring was in the basin, and James picked up the dagger.

"Sirius Orion Black," he began slowly, his voice barely shaking. "You are the sole heir of the House of Black. Today, you shall become Lord Black until the day you are unable to support the House of Black. Do you accept?"

"I accept."

"Will you ensure to uphold the new laws of the House, being always pure of heart and intentions?"

"I will."

"Will you respect your fellow wizards and muggles alike and protect those that cannot protect themselves?"

"I will."

"Will you use the magic of the House of Black for justice and protection of those that deserve it?"

"I will."

James grabbed Sirius's hand gently and held it over the bowl, where he sliced it deeply before turning it over to let the blood drip on the ring. The blood sizzled, soaking into the ring until it was no longer visible. James picked up the ring and handed it over. "You are now Lord Sirius Orion Black."

Sirius winced visibly as he put the ring on his right-hand ring finger, but said nothing else. James vanished the extra blood from the bowl and the knife and turned to Regulus while Sirius used his wand to heal his hand.

"Regulus Arcturus Black," James began. It was shorter since he was only pledging to be the heir instead of actually acting and running the House. "You are the appointed Heir by Sirius Orion Black. Do you accept this responsibility?"

"I do."

"Will you protect the image of the House of Black and make decisions in its best interest?"

"I will."

"Will you help guide the House of Black to redemption with the help of Lord Black?"

"I will."

James slid the dagger across Regulus's hand and both Regulus and Mia twitched in pain. Blood dripped into the bowl and on the heir ring, which absorbed it all the same way that Sirius's ring had. When it was done, James plucked it from the basin and handed it to Regulus, who put it on proudly while Mia healed his hand.

"That was easy enough," Harry said appreciatively, looking to his dad. "You're heir, too?"

James nodded. "Your grandfather made me his heir when I was seventeen. He said he didn't want that pressure on me as a child."

"I'm just glad we've got them," Mia sighed with a small smile. "There's so much going on. I'm glad they're here."

"Dad'll be great for corralling the old bitter wizards," James nudged her with his shoulder. "I can just imagine it now."

Mia let out a laugh. "Me too."

"We should probably win the war first," Harry reminded them gently. "We can't take advantage of any of this if we don't win."

"Don't worry, pup," Sirius wrapped an arm around Harry's shoulders and winked at Mia. "She's got it covered."

"But no pressure or anything," James smacked the back of Sirius's head hard. "Merlin, Padfoot."

"Sorry."

"Right, well," she glanced at all of them. "I guess we should get to Aberforth."

"Should we bring Alice and Frank?" Sirius asked her. She shifted uncomfortably.

"No, not yet. Get things organized and then get them over when Neville has a second. I don't want to explain why they're back from the near dead."

"Mia," Regulus touched her arm gently. "There's four of us that are literally back from the dead. I think after all of that, fixing Alice and Frank won't be much of a shock to them, yeah?"

She paused, blinking to herself. He had a point. "Yeah, okay. But they come last. I hate breaking it up the way that we do but it's necessary. Cast first, ask questions later and all."

"I'd say you sound like Moody, but we all do," Harry shook his head. "It is safer to do it slowly."

"Well, let's go."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Bloody fools, what are you thinking, coming here?"

Mia looked up at Aberforth, rolling her eyes.

"Have you any idea how dangerous it is?"

"Oh, shut up," Mia scoffed. "I fought with you twenty years ago before I was captured and killed, I bloody well do know how dangerous it is. How else do you expect us to get into Hogwarts?"

"Half of you are supposed to be dead," he said, finally taking a moment to look past Harry at the others in the room. "You were all dead yesterday."

"Two days ago," Sirius corrected. "We've been back for a day."

"And you!" Abe pointed at Mia. "If you're a bloody Light Lady, you need to get the hell away from here before they kill you again. Putting yourself and the bloody Boy Who Lived in danger."

"Stop yelling," she huffed. "Now that I'm back, we have a plan. We have a few things to do in the castle before we end it."

"You're a fool," he shook his head at her. "The Order is finished. You Know Who has won. Anyone who says otherwise is kidding themselves."

"Well excuse the rest of us for not being as bloody depressing as you," Ron rolled his eyes.

"I'm sorry you've lost hope, Aberforth, I really am, but we don't have time for this shit. Will you help us to Hogwarts or not? Because our only other choice is to get in the loud way, and that'll get more of us killed than necessary."

Aberforth scowled and waved his hand at the portrait on the wall behind her. "I won't have any part in watching kids be killed so keep me out of it."

"Whatever," Sirius made a face.

Before Abe could walk away, Mia glanced at the portrait again. "That's your sister Ariana, isn't it? She died very young, didn't she?"

"My brother sacrificed many things, Potter, on his journey to find power. Including Ariana," he told them, looking between the group. "She was devoted to him. He gave her everything."

"Thanks, Abe," James spoke up. "We appreciate this."

The man looked between them again and nodded once, leaving the room and closing the door behind himself.

"What crawled up his butt and died?" Sirius questioned. Mia smacked his arm.

"He's lost everything to these wars," she told him. "The last of his family, his freedom. He's protecting kids that his brother was supposed to protect. I don't really blame him for losing hope."

"Yeah, but he was a dick."

"She's coming back," Ron called. They looked over to see he was right and Mia smiled brightly at the sight of who was behind her.

"It's Neville," she told Alice and Frank. "You guys stay back and catch up while we go ahead, okay?"

"Thank you, Mia," Frank said honestly. "You've given us so much."

"I had a chance to spare one of my friends more pain," she smiled. "And you guys became my friends, too. I did what anyone would do."

The portrait opened and Neville stopped in his tracks. "Is that Sirius Black?"

"Yeah, a lot has happened," Harry shrugged. "Don't think Sirius will be the most interesting thing here for you, though."

"Neville," Alice called, gaining his attention. He froze, his eyes widening in wonder. "Oh, my boy."

"M-mum? Dad?" Neville looked to his friends in confusion. "How is this possible?"

"Mia," Alice answered, waving at the girl. "She preserved our minds and set a trigger word so that, when she came back, she could release it."

"I don't understand… literally any of that," the boy admitted, his eyes falling on Harry. "Is it actually them?"

"It is," Harry nodded. "It's a hell of a story, but it's all true. My dad's here, too. And Sirius, and Sirius's brother, and someone else that should be dead. Plus the Prewett twins, who are so much like Fred and George that it's freaky. We don't need two sets of them. It'll be chaos."

Neville followed as Harry pointed at each person, recognizing it to be true. "But what happened? Why did you call Hermione Mia?"

"Quick version?" Mia shrugged. "I went to the past, was adopted by Harry's grandparents - they're alive too, apparently, though I had nothing to do with that - and I helped Frank and Alice use Occlumency to make a sort of backup of their minds so that when I got back to my time, I could help them release their minds from what Bellatrix did. It was easy enough, knowing firsthand how she can affect the mind."

Neville nodded slowly as he processed her words. When he seemed to understand, he ran to his parents and wrapped his arms around them, and they hugged him back just as tight.

"Let's go," James tugged at Mia's arm lightly. "We should give them some privacy."

"Mmhm," she agreed, climbing into the portrait hole with her friends and family. "Remember, Harry, Ron, and I go first. We'll call you out when I've explained and put up a strong enough shield because there's a lot of them and they're powerful and paranoid."

"I don't like it, Little Lion," Regulus frowned at her. "What if they hurt you?"

"They won't," she shook her head firmly. "These are my friends. I trust them completely and more than that, they trust me. I'll be okay, Reg. I promise."

"Let's go," Harry said, obviously anxious to see his friends. She didn't blame him. They'd been gone for so long and they were all worried about who had managed to survive the year of Death Eaters at Hogwarts. The portrait hole opened and the Golden Trio stepped down to claps and cheers from the group, who noticed them almost immediately.

"Okay!" Mia yelled, sending sparks into the air. "Quiet! We're excited to see you guys, too, but we've got a lot to tell you and it'll take some time, okay?"

"Where's Neville?" Ginny asked her. Mia felt her breath catch at her fiery red hair and felt unexpected tears well up, unable to think of anyone but Lily.

"He's busy with Abe," Ron answered for her. "He'll be coming back in awhile."

"So what's up, Harry?" Dean asked. "We didn't think you'd be coming back so soon."

"Uh," Harry frowned, looking to Mia. "Neither did I. But some things have happened and… er, it's best if she explains."

Mia rolled her eyes at him but nodded. "Security questions first, okay? I need you all to be sure of who I am."

"Why?"

"Because you're all about to think I lost my fucking mind."

"Holy shit," Ginny laughed, grinning. "You swore!"

"I've got one," Cho called. "What was the first thing you said to me fifth year?"

Mia frowned. "I told you that Cedric would be proud of how strong you are and that if you needed to talk to anyone, I'm here."

Cho nodded quietly, confirming that she was Hermione.

"Oh, I have one," Dean grinned. "What'd you say when I started dating Ginny?"

"I told you that if you hurt her I'd hex your bollocks off," Mia narrowed her eyes. "You didn't listen to my warning, did you?"

"Merlin, Mione, relax," Ginny rolled her eyes. "Oh, I know! What was the first thing you said to me when we got back to Hogwarts after Christmas sixth year?"

"I went to your dorm and told you that Ron was an idiot and then asked you how you ever managed to grow up with him, to which you replied that the twins usually hexed him when he made you cry."

"Hey!" Ron exclaimed with a frown.

"Okay, so it's Hermione," Ginny shrugged. "What's going on?"

Mia frowned at Harry. "How do you think is best?"

"We don't have Moony or Kingsley or Emmaline here," he shrugged. "Just tell them and if they don't believe you, we've got some proof waiting."

"Okay. Well, Fred lost a game of Exploding Snap and hit my cracked time turner and he and I were sent to 1976."

"Oh, come on," Seamus complained. "Be serious!"

Mia waved her hand quickly at the portrait hole so that it couldn't open, slamming it shut an inch when Sirius went to make his signature joke and expose himself. "God, he has no self-control," she complained, shaking her head. "But I am being honest. We were sent back and when we found a way back, we decided to save a few people in the meantime, mostly because Fred threw a fucking hissy fit. My name was changed to Mia Potter, by the way, because I was adopted by Harry's grandparents. That's what I go by now but I know it'll take time to adjust."

"Wait, what do you mean, you brought some people back?" Parvati asked her.

Mia waved her hand in front of her and put up the strongest shield she could manage while focusing on other things as well. "Okay, let's start with the twins."

The portrait hole opened and the twins came out, stopping on either side of her and each resting an arm on her shoulder. "Why don't we ever get hexed at?" Gideon asked her.

"Yeah, we're dangerous!" Fabian agreed.

"You're revered aurors," Mia rolled her eyes as everyone stared. "You held your own against five Death Eaters before you had to leave."

"Yeah but everyone else gets hexed."

"Because they're all supposed to be dead or evil," she pointed out as Ginny ran up. Mia let down the shield long enough for her to pass through to look at them closely.

"Holy shit," Ginny let out a short laugh. "Mum's gonna lose her shit!"

"She already did, kiddo," Gideon grinned.

"Yeah, we went there first," Fabian agreed.

"Because I disappeared from there and I didn't want Bill to think we were fucking dead," Mia reasoned at Ginny's glare. The girl looked between them for a minute longer.

"So now I have two pairs of twins to hex Ron when he's an arse?"

"Unfortunately, I don't think we can hex our nephew," Fabian disagreed.

"Remember when I taught everyone _Avis_ and _Oppugno_?" Mia questioned. The twins nodded a little. "The boy I sent it at was Ron."

"It was bloody terrifying," Ron agreed.

"This is all lovely," Cho called. "But is this all?"

"Oh, definitely not," Mia shook her head and waved Ginny and the twins into the crowd. Once they'd gone, she put up a shield again. "Okay, so. Jamie, I think."

That time, nearly everyone had their wands out.

"Stop hexing at him!" Mia called, upset. "Merlin, I promise none of these people will hurt anyone but Death Eaters."

"But he's dead!"

"Obviously not."

"Mia gave me a way to escape at the last minute," James explained to everyone. "We all arrived yesterday afternoon."

"Why not Lily?" someone Mia didn't recognize asked. All of the Potters tensed a little.

"She chose not to use it," Mia explained slowly. "She decided to save Harry instead."

"Oh."

"Alright," she shook her head, strengthening the shield. "Reg, Avery."

A few confused people put their wands up, but no one hexed, much to her relief. They took their typical places on either side of her, and she grabbed Regulus's hand within her own, breathing out in relief at the touch.

"Okay, but who are they?" Terry Boot questioned after a long moment.

"Regulus Black," Mia nodded at her boyfriend. "Put your wands down, he's not an evil Death Eater. Merlin."

"But Mione," Ginny called. "I have an extremely important question about him."

"What?"

"Why're you holding his hand?"

"Oh, for fuck's sake," Mia rolled her eyes. "You're a child."

"Hermione has a boyfriend!"

"And this is Frederick Avery," Mia interrupted before her friend could continue. "He also is not some sort of evil Death Eater, okay? I expect you all to treat them nicely and if any of you hurt them, I'll fucking destroy you."

"Is that it, then?"

"Not exactly. They're at Abe's, but I helped to repair Neville's parents' minds. They're fine and catching up with him now. Aside from that… we have one more, but there are a few important things you'll need to know first."

"Aside from the fact that you have a boyfriend?"

"Shut up, Ginny," Mia narrowed her eyes. "Jamie?"

"Right," James shook himself, having been snickering at his sister with Harry. "You all know someone betrayed me and my family to You Know Who. It was not, however, Sirius Black. We made a blood brothers bond in first year which means that we quite literally cannot betray one another. Aside from that, we traded secret keepers at the last minute because Sirius was too obvious. Peter Pettigrew betrayed us. Sirius is innocent."

"Okay…"

"In the past, I was… _upset_ that Sirius was dead," Mia began slowly. "He and I became close there and I looked into some… interesting areas of magic to find a way to bring him back."

"Sano," Avery rolled his eyes at her. "Tell them what it really is."

"Fine," she made a face. "It's dark blood magic."

"That's illegal," Susan gasped. Mia let out a laugh.

"It's the only reason Sirius or I are alive today."

"Wait, so you're saying Sirius Black is alive?"

The portrait hole opened again and Mia smiled as Sirius came and pushed his way to her side, leaving Avery annoyed and forced to move to stand next to Regulus. She grabbed Sirius's hand tight within her own, grateful when no one hexed him.

"Our bond means that we can bring each other back to life when we die," she explained. "So when I got back, I snuck into the ministry - much more successful this time than last - and brought him back from the Veil."

"That place sucks," Sirius made a face. "Lots of shitty memories there. I'd rather not go back, so try not to die."

Mia rolled her eyes. "That's basically it. Our parents are alive, too, but that wasn't me. Well, it wasn't directly me. It was sort of my fault that they had to fake their deaths but-,"

"It wasn't," James disagreed with a frown. "You had no control over that."

"I mean, if I'd kept my damn mouth shut, it wouldn't have happened."

"It's Dodd's fault," Regulus put in, earning himself a dirty look from his girlfriend. "It is, Mia. He should've protected his mind better."

"You know what? Let's blame Riddle because the entire thing was his fault," Fabian suggested. "Or even Dolohov."

"Or we could pretend Dolohov doesn't exist," Mia replied tiredly.

"What the hell are you guys talking about?" Ginny looked between them, just as confused as everyone else.

"Riddle found out that I was from the future and knew a lot about him and how to end the war officially and he captured me. Later on after I left to come back to this time, he started going after my family and friends to see if I'd told them anything. Which I had, not that I wanted to. I'm just lucky they didn't get to you guys since you knew the most about how I got back," Mia said, looking to the twins, who exchanged a look. She deflated. "No."

"Sorry, pet. We didn't want to tell you. They didn't get anything out of us, but it seemed like a good time to go," Fabian admitted with a smile.

"Shit. _I'm_ the reason Molly lost her brothers for twenty years?"

"You said you've got a lot to tell us," Michael Corner reminded her. "Is there more?"

"Oh boy," she sighed. "Yeah. Okay… Avery-,"

"Mia-,"

"Shirt!"

Avery looked to Regulus, his lips thinned. "She has a problem, Black."

"One that we continue to indulge," Regulus agreed.

Avery shook his head, exasperated, and pulled his shirt up. Mia tapped her wand against the mark.

"So, this is my mark. Both of these boys have it and it's officially registered among Order members as the mark of a good Death Eater - yes, they are both Death Eaters. A few others have it and it means that they're on our side. Do not harm them."

"Who else?"

"Let's see… Leon Gibbon, Samson Dodd, Rodolphus Lestrange- hey! I know who his wife is. She's tortured me quite a few times now, okay? Chill. He's not his wife. I, more than anyone else, know that."

"Anyone else?" Justin asked her, making a face, one that she fought not to return.

"Yes. Blaise Zabini, Theo Nott, and…" she looked around. "Okay. When I finished our way back here, everyone thought I was dead - it's a long story, obviously I'm fine. The point is, I was supposed to be dead and I wasn't. I called a meeting with a woman that I trusted, one of Sirius and Regulus's cousins. I told her I knew her heir in school and requested that she raise him to be a spy. That meant, of course, that he had to act like he hated us and was extremely bigoted, meanwhile he wasn't. The Black family has primacy over… everyone, basically, so it meant that she was meant to teach him what she wanted him to know, anyway. I've spoken to him and I personally know that he is not who we've all known him to be for so many years."

"Who is it?" Ernie questioned impatiently. Mia hesitated.

"Narcissa Malfoy. Draco is the spy."

"What the hell, Hermione?" Ginny called among the other shouts. "He's called you a mudblood so many times. He's hexed you! He grew your teeth! He tried to kill you the night Dumbledore died!"

" _Malfoy tried to kill you_?" Harry asked loudly.

Mia winced. "Thanks, Gin. Remember when I told you not to tell anyone about that?"

Ginny paused. "Right. Sorry."

"I know he's done all that, okay? I know he was awful to us. But even before I went to the past, I knew something was off. He… he was there when we were captured. He refused to identify Harry and he looked miserable while I was being tortured. He doesn't want to be where he is."

"You really expect us to believe that?" Seamus asked her. "You're not the only one he treated like shit."

"I know," she sighed. "But he told me himself, the only one he really hated was Ron - sorry Ron - and he feels awful. Doesn't it say anything that he surrounded himself now with friends who immediately jumped at the chance to leave the Death Eaters? None of them want to be there."

"You really think so?"

"I know so. Reg?"

Regulus frowned. "It is true that he looked to be in the same situation I was in. His father made him join. I was close with Narcissa. She never would have let him believe the bigoted things Lucius did. She was not as foolish as Andromeda to run away from the family, which stuck her with Malfoy. I believe Draco, however violent he may be."

"I agree," Sirius spoke up. "Cissa had flaws, but she'd have protected the kid as best as she could. I can't imagine how she took it when he got the Mark."

"Fine," Ginny sighed. "Is that it, then?"

Mia looked between her friends, hesitating. "No. Someone else has my mark. A high ranking Death Eater that is close to Riddle. The issue is… he doesn't remember me. To get him to play the part in time that he had to play, I had to, with his consent, hide his memories of me and twist some others so that he was much more bitter than before. Once I do remove this, he will be the same person I knew, but… I understand if you cannot forgive him, but I ask of you to just avoid him in battle. Do not engage. Let him handle himself. If he attacks you, protect yourself but do not aim to kill."

"Hermione, who is it?"

"It's Snape."

" _What_?" Dean yelled. "He killed Dumbledore!"

"Dumbledore was a terribly flawed man that, considering the decaying arm, was already dying," she shot back. "I believe completely that Dumbledore asked Severus to kill him so that Draco wouldn't have to. It makes sense. Severus would likely know that Draco was a spy and therefore, Dumbledore knew. I know it's confusing, but please trust me. I know what I'm talking about."

"Okay, well, are you going to fix him soon?" Ron asked her. She hadn't discussed Snape much with them, mostly because she had many fears and insecurities on the matter.

"No," she sighed. "There's too much to do and I don't believe I could currently get to him without being captured again. Since Riddle knows I'm alive now and is looking for me-,"

"Hold up," Padma interrupted. "He knows you're alive? After disappearing for, what, twenty years?"

"Er- yeah," she shrugged. "I told Narcissa to tell Riddle on April 19th, 1998 that I was alive and well. With any luck, the man that was supposed to get rid of me got killed for it. But Riddle will be looking for me over Harry because Riddle wants and needs me dead."

"Riddle will want to kill me still," Harry added. "But in the end, he's going to go after Mione- er, Mia."

"Yeah," she nodded.

"Sano," Avery muttered, moving over to talk to her quietly. "I believe they should know about Dolohov."

"No."

"Wait," Regulus touched her arm. "I think he's right. They need to know how much danger you're in from him."

"I don't want to."

"I know."

Mia sighed, tense, and looked back to the curious crowd. "Okay. The man that tried to kill me has a huge fucking issue with me. He's going to be super pissed that I'm not dead and, on the off chance that he's still alive, he'll probably come after me."

"Who is it?"

"Dolohov," she said. "He was alive a couple of years ago. He grabbed me at the DOM and said some… creepy stuff that indicated that he definitely knew that Hermione would become me. He's dangerous and I don't suggest anyone engage him. Just if anyone sees him, send me a message to let me know."

"He did some patrols here," a voice called. Mia turned to see Neville walking down to them with his parents. "Terrifying. He killed a kid with torture."

Mia winced. "Yeah, he has a worse Crucio than Bellatrix."

It was only when everyone stared at her with a mixture of horror and pity that she realized she'd said something pretty depressing. It reminded her of Sirius's slip up and she wondered how they'd both become so desensitized to the traumatic events they'd gone through.

"So, do you guys have a plan for what needs to happen?" he asked her, looking between the group surrounding her.

"Yep," she nodded, surprising her friends. She hadn't told them, mostly because she'd been thinking it up on the way through the tunnel. "I'm going to sneak into Slytherin and give our friends a few jobs. We need to get the third year and under students down to the Chamber of Secrets - Harry will go down first and move the basilisk corpse because they shouldn't be around that - and once they're out, everyone needs to gather in here. From there, we can start slowly picking away the Death Eaters stationed around the school. After that, we'll start putting up some wards and protection around the school and prepare for the end."

"The… end?"

Mia nodded with a small smile. "No one has to fight if you don't want to, okay? But yes, we're going to end this and we're going to end it soon."

The group all seemed to agree with her so she set to setting up groups while Harry and James took the Invisibility Cloak and went to open the Chamber, clear a path to it, and move the basilisk corpse, though she made sure they knew to grab a few fangs so that Regulus wouldn't be forced to destroy the rest of the Horcruxes.

Before she went down to the dungeons, she stopped to make sure everyone was clear on what was happening.

"How are you planning on taking care of the Death Eaters around the castle?" the question came from Zacharias Smith, a Hufflepuff that Mia had only seen a few times before but that she knew had been in the DA.

"Draco, Theo, Blaise, and a couple others will help," she promised. "I've already sent a message to my friends outside of the castle and I'll be heading to see Draco and them before I give you the signal to start working. Does everyone know how to disillusion themselves?" At the blank looks, she stared back in shock. "How have you all survived so long?"

"Professor McGonagall," Neville and Ginny replied together. She accepted the response easily. It made total sense.

"Right," she looked between Harry and Ron to Fabian and Gideon. "So all of us will work on teaching you. It's not difficult, so it probably won't take long. Anyone that can't cast it can't leave this room, got it?"

So, they set to work. Mia, Ron, the twins, Regulus, Avery, and Sirius all took small groups of students and taught them the spell. In total, it probably took about an hour and a half, and nearly everyone had gotten it down, only the younger kids having issues with the fourth year spell.

In the end, Dean had picked Seamus and Ginny to help him evacuate the students. Ron yelled in argument of the choice, but was overruled by the twins and Mia, who simply said it wasn't his choice. Luna had chosen Cho and Anthony Goldstein to help her, while Susan took Hannah and Ernie Macmillan to grab the Hufflepuff students. With the teams in place, Mia disillusioned herself, using the Map to guide her through the halls and away from Death Eaters, taking note of who was in the castle as she did so. It was a stressful trip to the dungeons and when she got there, she snuck up to the seventh year boys' dorm.

Mia dropped the disillusionment, startling all three boys. One shield and five seconds later, they were swearing at her angrily. "Okay, I'm sorry. I wanted to see you in person about this, okay?"

"What is it, Grang-," Draco cut himself off. "Potter?"

"We're working on evacuating students," she explained. "I'd like to keep Slytherin students out of the fight as well, so I figured we'd put them where the others are going but… apart. We don't need any fights while everything is happening."

"How do you plan to move such a large amount of kids without anyone noticing?" Theo stared at her in disbelief.

"Disillusionment, for one," she shrugged. "Also, you three have to help distract Death Eaters on the way. We'll all take care of Slytherin together and then you'll split up, each of you going with a different House. I'd help, but I've got other things I need to take care of."

"How the hell do you expect us to do that?" Draco frowned at her.

"You can figure it out," she promised. "I've invited Leon Gibbon and Rodolphus Lestrange to come help. If there's any problems, send them a Patronus."

"You won't have much time after it's done," Blaise pointed out. "Maybe the night and some of the morning at most. All students are supposed to be in dorms by 4pm, so that'll help. We don't get up until 9am."

"And it's only 6 now," she nodded in relief. It was a good cover. "Good. That's enough time. Might not be able to go get Dodd until it's all over, but that's fine."

Draco let out a dramatic sigh as he stood. "Let's get this over with, Potter."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia looked around at the groups of Slytherin students. She was still disillusioned while they settled in different rooms based off of year. They'd be allowed to mix after she met with them. First was the seventh years, and she frowned at the group. There were much fewer students than she'd expected. It seemed as if the seventh years were made up of essentially Draco, Blaise, Theo, Crabbe, Goyle, Pansy, Daphne Greengrass, and a girl she didn't know. She already knew she'd only have luck with Daphne, so she snuck up to Theo, glad that he didn't jump when she touched his arm. She leaned over to whisper to him quiet enough that no one else would hear her.

"Hey, I want to talk to just Daphne. I doubt Crabbe, Goyle, or Pansy will have anything positive to say to me."

Theo didn't respond and just pulled his arm away from her. She watched him mutter quietly to Daphne before pulling her out of the room and walking down the hall. Mia followed and put up a few privacy wards before dropping the spells on her.

"Granger?" Daphne blinked. "What are you doing here?"

"Oh, this is all me," she shrugged. "You're not a Death Eater, right? Your family is mostly in the grey area."

"Of course not," Daphne confirmed. "Astoria isn't either. You didn't bring us down here to kill us, right?"

Mia let out a startled laugh. "No, Merlin. Did I really give off that murderous vibe in school?"

"Not in school, no, but you certainly are now."

"Yeah that makes sense," she shrugged. "No, I'm trying to keep you all safe. The battle is coming soon. I don't want to disclude the entire House, I'm a fucking Slytherin for Merlin's sake-,"

" _What_?" Daphne looked at Theo, who was just shaking his head at her.

"Perhaps you should _wait_ to disclose odd, nonsensical facts about the last few months of your life until you've gotten everyone you'd like," Theo suggested. Mia's lips twitched.

"Yeah, good idea. I'll get myself hexed and then Regulus will probably fucking destroy you all for it."

" _Mia_ ," Theo threw his head back and she laughed a little.

"Sorry. So, Daphne, would you like to take my mark? It'll ensure your freedom when this is over. The entire light recognizes it. Dumbledore spread it around in the seventies so it's been legit for around twenty-two years."

Daphne looked to Theo for confirmation that the girl hadn't lost her mind and he just nodded a little. "Only if you'll offer the same to Astoria. Oh, and a couple friends of mine."

"Sure," Mia shrugged. "As long as they want it. Astoria is a sixth year, right?"

"Yes. My friend, Kat, is a seventh year. Her sister graduated, but Kat said she's getting in and out of the school somehow."

"Mm, I bet I know how," Mia commented, nodding at Theo. He went to go find the two girls in question for her, leaving Mia and Daphne alone. "I'm glad to see you're surviving here. You were always so kind to me."

"You're a brilliant witch," Daphne shrugged.

"Daph!"

"Ah, Story," Daphne grabbed her sister in a hug. "Thank Merlin you're okay."

"Theo's being weird," Astoria commented, glaring at the boy in question as he came to stand next to Mia. "Holy shit, Granger?"

"Mm," Mia hummed, watching another girl walk over. She had long, black wavy hair and pale skin with dark brown eyes, and Mia suddenly realized she'd gone to school with her for years. "Huh. What's your name?"

"Kat Miles," the girl narrowed her eyes. "We've been in class together for six years, Granger."

Mia shrugged. "I have a valid excuse for every single year. A lot of shit has happened."

"Fair."

"Theo, Daphne, do you know anyone else down to fourth year that would be willing?"

The two considered her for a moment, thinking.

"Not that I can think of," Theo shrugged. "With the resorting this year, things have gotten even more selective, especially the younger years."

"Resorting?" Mia stared. "I _begged_ to be resorted and Dumbledore told me to suck it up. Nasty old man."

"Daph, did she hit her head?" Astoria wondered. "Don't you and your friends adore Dumbledore?"

"No," Mia scowled. "Dumblecunt was a nasty man that did horrible things for his so-called Greater Good and ruined many lives, resulting in the death of my blood bound brother and-,"

"Hey, Mia," Theo interrupted. "We all know he was shit. We should focus."

"Right," she shook her head. "Okay. Well, I'll give you the quick story… oh, Draco might be able to help."

Theo stepped back a little bit and grabbed the boy by his collar as he was walking away, pulling him into the privacy wards.

"The fuck, Nott?" Draco snapped, smacking his hand away. He noticed the group and sighed a little. "What are you doing, Potter?"

"I need you for proof," she explained. "So, okay. After Bellatrix tortured me, I was not doing well. I was resting and Fred Weasley came to visit and Harry was playing a game of exploding snap with him. He was sitting next to me and my cracked time turner and when he lost, we got sent back to 1976. Long story short, lots of people that should be dead aren't and I've collected myself a few Death Eaters, as well as people associated with Death Eaters like Draco's mum and Blaise. It's for protection but also to make sure you're all on my side. I'm not asking you to fight for us, I'm just asking you not to fight for them. Stay safe down here if you'd like to."

"Draco, you really expect us to believe this?" Astoria asked him. He sighed.

"I'm sorry, Astoria. I never wanted to lie to you. My mother raised me to be a spy, or at the very least not truly loyal to the Dark Lord. She is telling the truth."

"And your name is Mia Potter now?" Daphne asked her. She nodded a little.

"I was adopted by Dorea and Charlus Potter."

"Who is alive?" Kat asked.

"Hmm. James Potter, Fabian and Gideon Prewett, Frederick Avery, Sirius Black, and Regulus Black. Oh, and my parents, Dorea and Charlus."

"Wait, but Sirius died a few years ago," Astoria shook her head. Mia blushed and uncovered her arm for them. They gasped at the sight, being purebloods with knowledge of that sort of dark magic.

"I was pissed that he died. It's really useful. If either of us die again, as long as the other one is fine, we can come back," she explained. "Which is cool because I'm supposed to live for a long time."

"Few questions," Kat told her. "First, why are you supposed to live for a long time?"

"Okay… well, I'm a Light Lady- er, I'm actually supposedly a Legendary, which sounds shit to me."

"Holy shit, we haven't had one of those in centuries," Astoria exclaimed.

"Next question," Kat said. "You've both died?"

"I hate Slytherins."

"You _are_ a Slytherin," Theo reminded her with a laugh. She made a face at him.

"Yes, I died. Dolohov killed me, it was fucking horrible. Riddle is pissed as hell, he wants me dead and he wants Harry dead. Harry has to die - he will come back - and then he has to fight me after that. It'll all be very dramatic, I'm sure."

"So how will these marks work?"

"Oh," she shook her head. "Draco, could you lift your shirt?"

"Is this how your bloody guards feel?" he asked her, lifting his shirt up to show the girls the mark. Astoria smirked at the sight, and her sister rolled her eyes. Mia tapped her wand to the mark quietly and watched as it lit up.

"Any member of the light can touch it and know that you're on our side. It takes just a moment and doesn't hurt too bad."

"Okay," Kat lifted her shirt up, making both boys blush. "Merlin, get over yourselves. I'm not stripping. We're literally in the middle of a war."

Mia drew the rune on her gently, hissing in pain when she felt it light hers up, which could be seen through her light white tank top.

"You have one too?" Daphne wondered. She nodded a little as she moved onto Astoria.

"Yeah, it burns me every time I give it. It was pretty shitty having to remark everyone after I died, honestly," she made a face as she moved to stand in front of Daphne. "Shit still hurts. I've got a lot of extensive damage from that so it hurts more than it did the first time I gave it, which was to Avery, Regulus, and Severus."

"Severus- Snape?" Astoria asked her in surprise. "He's been an arse to you for six years!"

"Yeah, I made him do that," Mia sighed sadly. "To uphold time. He doesn't remember me, so don't try to make him. He'll only remember when we have time for that. I've made sure no one will attack him, so if you see him attack anyone, maybe just try to help protect them. They won't go on the offensive."

"I have an important question," Kat raised an eyebrow. "What was Snape like as a teenager?"

Mia rolled her eyes and turned back to the boys. "I'll answer that _after_ we all survive this war. Is everyone here and accounted for?"

"Yep, all seven years. We put up some anti-magic wards around Crabbe, Goyle, and Pansy. They're generally the most dangerous of everyone."

"Great," Mia grinned, looking back to the girls. "If any of you would like to stay here, you can. Anyone that wants to leave can come back with me to continue organizing the DA and Order."

"They won't hex us?" Kat questioned.

"Nah, they got that out of them when Sirius and everyone was revealed," she rolled her eyes.

"We're in," Daphne said, nodding at her sister.

"Me, too," Kat agreed. "I want to find Jess."

"Your sister? I had an idea about her. I think she's with my friends. It's the only way in and out of the castle. Was she a Slytherin?"

"No, a Ravenclaw."

"Let's go see if we can find her, then."

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	19. The Final Battle

**April 21st, 1998**

 **12:00 am**

It took around an hour to get everyone to Hogwarts and into the Room. Once there, it took another thirty minutes to get through the talking and calm everyone down. Everyone was standing in a bit of a circle, and Mia found herself surrounded by Regulus, Avery, Harry, James, Sirius, Emmaline, and the Prewett twins, with the entire Weasley family a bit to the side. Leon and Rodolphus were keeping watch outside, having told Severus that they'd been assigned to the castle for a bit of extra security. The young Slytherins were a bit separated from the group, but they still hovered near Mia, uncomfortable with everyone else. Kat had, in fact, found her sister, and the pair were standing close with the rest of the sixth and seventh year Slytherins.

"Alright, guys," Mia called. People quieted down, and she found herself grabbing onto Fabian's hand as he was on her left, much to her surprise. "We've got lists of who is out there and where they should be. Draco?"

Pulling on the confidence he'd faked his entire life, Draco stepped forward to address the group. "There are usually ten Death Eaters wandering the school with another Death Eater guarding each House aside from Slytherin. Most of them aren't too strong, but we do have the Carrows to look out for. They're really nasty. Someone more powerful will have to take care of don't have a particular schedule, they just walk around wherever and respond to messages for help. Most of the others are at main hallways and on a broom monitoring the staircases. I anticipate that the only one that'll be too hard to handle will be the one at the staircases."

"No one covers the doors?" Kingsley asked him, disbelieving. Draco shook his head.

"They think they've got a good handle on the students, aside from the ones that went missing. Even so, you guys haven't even left the castle. I'd say that they're keeping a good hold on the castle."

"He's right," Neville agreed, standing in between his parents, his gran next to his father. "We'd have all left if it weren't for Hogsmeade infested with Death Eaters. Aberforth has been feeding us and gave us a radio for Potterwatch. He also keeps us updated on the Order and our families if he can."

"I thought you said you think we'll lose," Harry scoffed at the old man. "There's no hope, you said."

"There isn't," Aberforth agreed, looking uncomfortable. Mia rolled her eyes.

"So, two people per Death Eater," Mia instructed. "One DA student and one Order member, okay?"

"We can handle it," Kingsley assured her. She sighed, glancing at him.

"Look, I know you probably could," she shrugged. "But these students know the castle and what's going on better than you do. Besides, they've got different training. I know the Order is used to running things, but the DA is strong as well, and we're going to help."

"Mia," Kingsley sighed, looking like she was a human headache. Even in the middle of the mini argument, she appreciated his use of her name. "You're just children."

She gave him an indignant look, along with Harry and Ron.

"Oh, you just fucked up," Sirius laughed.

"Okay, we're just children, Harry," she told her friend. "So there's no way you saved the Philosopher's Stone, right? That's how Riddle came back, isn't it? Oh, wait, it _isn't_. Because you saved it."

"And obviously Riddle's diary killed me," Ginny added.

"Except it didn't," Mia agreed. "Because we stopped it - Harry stopped it, _and he killed a bloody basilisk_."

"And I was kissed," Sirius added, mainly because he was extremely amused by the regret on Kingsley's face. Truthfully, the man hadn't meant to imply that they weren't competent, he just didn't like the idea of children fighting a war. "But I wasn't, because Harry and Mia saved me."

"Okay, I get it," Kingsley shook his head at them. "Apologies. I don't like the idea of you guys fighting."

"But who else will?" Harry asked him. "You guys aren't enough to fight an entire army. Mione figured it all out, but you have to cooperate and listen to us, to her."

"So," Mia looked around. "The leaders that got the students from each House, pick a partner from the Order and get going. I need seven more students to match up with Order members."

"What about the Carrows?" Theo asked her with a frown. He already knew her answer.

"Oh, well, I'll be handling them," she answered, looking around at the Order members. Her eyes settled on Bill, who gave her a soft smile. "With Bill."

"Mia, no," Regulus grabbed her hand gently, giving her a look she'd seen once before, the same look he'd given her the night she stunned him to prove to Severus that she was from the future. A look that could turn to protective anger much too quickly. "You don't know what they can do."

"Anything worse than what Dolohov did?" she asked sharply. She did appreciate his worry, but he couldn't try and protect her anymore. It was going to be one of the most dangerous days of the war. He tensed significantly, and she saw darkness in his eyes that made her wonder if she'd gone too far with the question. "Regulus, I love you, but I'm going to be in danger. You can't prevent that."

He didn't reply, and she turned back to the group around her, who all looked either uncomfortable or confused. "Right. So, let's get into our groups and set to work. I want this done as fast as possible."

The group broke off as they decided who all would be going. Dean paired up with Kingsley, Luna with Emmaline, and Susan was with Hestia Jones. Aside from them, Hannah paired up with Gideon, Justin with Andromeda, Neville went with Frank, Harry snuck out with James, Ron went with Charlie, Ginny with Fabian, and Seamus with Lee Jordan.

Mia and Bill left first as Draco gave instructions on where they might find their Death Eaters. They were sent to the dungeons, where the Carrows often hung around when they were bored. After a joke about not being able to grow up and a glare from Draco, Mia and Bill left on their way to the dungeons.

The password to the Slytherin common rooms was always an academic question that changed based on your year. If you're older than 17, there was no question, which would let them in easily. They disillusioned themselves and walked at a quick pace down the halls.

"There are plenty of capable people for this," Bill told her conversationally. She glanced at him and waited for him to make his point. "Why you? Why us?"

"Because Neville told me why he went to the Room in the first place," she told him as she pulled her hair back into a tight high ponytail. She didn't want it in her way, not while fighting. Truthfully, she wanted to cut it, but there was no time. "Apparently, the Carrows were trying to teach older students how to torture the younger students. Anyone that refused was tortured themselves."

"Okay, and?"

She looked at him in disbelief. "Every student in there has been tortured by them, Bill. Look, when I was in the past, I was forced to see Bellatrix twice, tortured by her twice more. It was hell. Not just the torture, but seeing her. It was an aggressive reminder. And… I imagine that if I saw Dolohov, it would be even worse. So I wanted to spare them that fear and pain because they don't deserve it. They've been taking care of the younger students and hiding them away for as long as possible. Normal Death Eaters they can take, but the people that tortured them? They don't deserve that."

"You're a strong woman," he told her softly. "But you don't have to put yourself in danger for others."

She couldn't help but laugh. "Bill, I've been in danger since I was eleven. I don't mind it if it helps other people. And it is expected of me at this point. And Harry. It doesn't really matter if I want to. Riddle is coming for me, and I can't change that. I just really want this war over with. And hopefully, by the end of today, it will be. We just… have to keep moving."

"Alright," he agreed. "Let's go, then."

They kept walking in silence, and Mia was in thought the entire time. Before she'd left, she'd had a healing bond with Bill, and it had helped tremendously. Now, she had both her soul bond with Regulus and her healing bond with Bill. It helped, and yet she still felt the aches and pains from when she'd been captured. She couldn't help but wonder _why_. Regulus had said it would take a long while to heal, but surely after over a month and two people to help her heal, she had to be getting much better.

With a sigh, she walked up the few steps into the Slytherin common rooms. They were mostly empty aside from Alecto and Amycus Carrow, who were muttering quietly to one another, sitting by the fire. Mia paused. They hadn't talked about _how_ to take them out. The part of her that still wanted to just stun people and move on told her that it could work. The part of her that knew they were in potentially the final battle of a long war, however, reminded her that stunning left the Carrows open to waking up and joining the fight.

Still disillusioned, she silently walked over and put her hand to Amycus's head, Bill's wand to Alecto's. She cast silently, and Amycus dropped to the floor, the Killing Curse doing its job well. Bill followed only a moment after as Alecto jumped up, and soon she, too, was dead. With a breath of relief, they removed the disillusionment, and Mia cast her Patronus.

"To the Order and the DA. The Carrows are out. You're all free to go."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

In Hogsmeade, Fleur met her family and greeted Viktor and his friends. Altogether, there were about 70 people there, anxious to help. There were nearly 20 Death Eaters roaming the small town, and Fleur directed some people to the rooftops to strategically remove them all, though only after they'd removed the alarms around the town. It had been a hard task, but easy enough with Harry's borrowed cloak and silent casting.

Within thirty minutes, every Death Eater had been rendered unconscious at the least and killed at the most and thrown in an alley with their wands broken. With that done, the large group went through the Hog's Head to the castle, where they met up with the Order, the DA, and Mia's good Death Eaters.

"What is next?" Viktor asked Mia after hugging her. Fleur had told him the entire story as they walked through the tunnel, and he was immensely proud of the girl he'd once dated and was then friends with. "We are ready whenever you are."

Mia looked at him in surprise. His English was so good that she thought he might even be able to say her old name. "Right. We're just waiting for Seamus and Lee. They went to take care of the staircases, which is harder than the rest because the guy is on a broom."

"And once they are back?" Gabrielle asked her. Mia smiled at the girl. She was, like her sister, much tougher than she looked.

"Once they get back, we'll need to clear out the room," Harry told her. "Ginny, you remember the room we left my potions book in?"

Ginny blushed, and Mia raised her eyebrows. "Yeah, of course."

"It sounds like the diadem is in there," he explained. "So, we need to change the room, and we can't do that with everyone here."

"You can all help me set the defenses," McGonagall called out. "The more people helping, the stronger they should be."

A thought occurred to Mia. "Okay, I just want to make this clear. There will be a point in time when You-Know-Who calls for Harry. _He has to go_. I've done research, and he will be okay. It's rather hard to explain right now, but he'll come back. After that, he'll be after me."

"Why is that?" Dean questioned her suspiciously. "I get in the past, but Harry's the Chosen One. Why does he care about you now?"

"She didn't tell you?" Fred let out a short laugh. "You're in for a shock."

Mia made a face, looking at the DA. "Right, okay. You know how I said I brought Sirius back with blood magic?"

"Illegal magic," Susan nodded. The girl's aunt had been the head of the DMLE, and Mia didn't blame her for disagreeing with her choice.

"Yes, illegal," she shrugged. "I don't really care. But I made the bond go both ways. One day, Riddle caught me and he found out I was from the future, along with a few things I know that could and actually are allowing us to eventually kill him. So, he had me killed."

"He _had_ you killed?" Zacharias asked her suspiciously. "I thought you escaped. Hell, I thought he liked to do the killing himself."

She shifted uncomfortably, careful not to look at any of her friends, who also looked uncomfortable. It was clear to everyone that something had happened that still bothered all of them greatly. "Yeah, well, he knew I was afraid of someone else more than I was afraid of him. Anyway, he did have me killed and Sirius brought me back the same way I brought him back. I left not long after that, and he only found out I'm still alive two days ago, so he's bound to be furious."

"That's not the only reason why," Avery added for those that hadn't been in the room earlier. The entire conversation was, generally, for those that had missed it. "Mia is a Legendary, which means she's the Light Lady destined to fight him."

"I thought Legendaries were myths," Jess gasped.

"I thought magic was a myth," Mia replied dryly. "The point is, he knows he has to kill me if he wants to live in peace. I'm sure he's already looking for me. So, if you see Harry go to meet him, don't stop him. Same goes for me. We know what we have to do to end this."

"What is a Legendary?" Cho asked curiously.

"Like… Merlin, Morgana, Circe, those types," Avery answered the girl quickly. Mia tapped her foot impatiently, ready to move on.

"I trust all of you to judge a situation correctly," she told them. "If you feel the need to kill someone, do it. If you don't, then don't, but remember that they will never hesitate to kill you instead. If you don't kill, stun them and break their wands. Silence them as well."

"What about Professor Snape?" Draco asked her with a frown. He didn't want to see his godfather killed, but he also knew that the man had killed Dumbledore, someone precious to the Gryffindors. "I know he killed Dumbledore, but-,"

"Fuck Dumbledore," Mia scoffed. "What I said earlier stands. No one fucking touch him. If he's hurt at all, you answer to me and my friends."

"By her friends, she means us," Regulus said, waving to himself, Avery, Leon, and Rodolphus. They were significantly more threatening looking than Sirius and James.

"We should get going," Theo added quickly, looking between the large group. "If the Death Eaters miss three check-ins, someone will come check on them. As soon as they do that, we're doomed."

"Okay," Ron looked to the boy. "How many have they already missed?"

"I'd say two."

"Great," Harry muttered.

"Let's get going, then."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Severus paced through his office, hands wringing together in concern. He'd gotten a fire-call from Narcissa about Draco. When he'd went to find the boy, he was gone, along with his friends and every other student in the castle. Not just the students, but also the Death Eaters in place to keep them where they were. Something was going on. He wanted to think it was Potter, but he knew it couldn't be. The boy was too Gryffindor for his own good. He'd have rushed carelessly into the castle and begun fighting as soon as possible. No, whatever was happening was a carefully planned attack. Strategic and silent.

There was something else, though, that Narcissa had mentioned. A few quickly whispered sentences before she'd ended the call that made no sense to him.

" _Mia Potter his back. The Dark Lord sent Dolohov_ and _Bella after her. Help her."_

It was curious for multiple reasons. For one, he knew the Potter line. It ended with Harry, and before him was James, only James. Charlus was also an only child, and so was his father before him. There was no one that should be alive that would be named Mia Potter. Beyond that, no one named Mia Potter had ever infuriated Voldemort so much that he'd set both of his best torturers after them. And finally, Narcissa wanted him to help her, whoever she was. She'd said it in a way that made him think she'd already assumed he would help her. That she was only saying it out of concern.

But who the hell was Mia Potter?

OoOoOoOoOoOo

"Oh, Miss Potter," McGonagall called, rushing after Mia, who was headed quickly out of the castle to help set up the protections while Harry and Ginny worked with Regulus and James to find the diadem. Regulus had wanted to go with her, but since he'd been the only one that could fully control fiendfyre, she wanted him to go as backup in case there was an issue with the basilisk fangs. "Miss Potter, wait."

Mia turned around with a soft smile. "You remember me."

"Oh, of course, I do," the older woman nodded firmly. "You showed up one year and barely came to class, got in constant trouble, and then died. Besides, Albus warned me before Hermione Granger's first year that I'd be seeing a familiar face."

"You never said anything."

"I was the one that gave you your time turner," she raised an eyebrow. "This is important. I appreciate your request not to alarm Riddle any sooner than absolutely necessary, but I don't think we should trap Severus in the castle with us."

"But-,"

"I understand that he is your friend," McGonagall told her quickly. "But unless you are willing to inform him of your return-,"

"I can't," she shook her head. "Well, not yet. I have to get him somewhere quiet and sit down. I blocked the memories away from him. He doesn't remember me. I have to release them, and it'll take him time to fully understand. Honestly, after so long, I can't be sure it'll work. It's different from the way we did it for Alice and Frank. It'll be like becoming a totally different person than the one he's known for twenty years. Kinder, less bitter. It'll be hard for him."

"Then we should get him out of the castle," she told her. "Allow him to tell Riddle we're here. By the time they get here, we should have the castle covered already."

Mia considered the suggestion. She didn't like the idea of sending Severus back to Voldemort, but she saw the woman's point. She nodded once sharply. "Can you take care of that?"

"I can," McGonagall agreed. They'd gotten all the way outside during their conversation, and as she moved inside, McGonagall stopped and ordered the large statues to protect the castle and the people in it. Mia jumped a little when they slammed down to the stone floor and marched out to the bridge and around the grounds.

Mia worked with Molly and the rest of the Order and the students to strengthen the regular wards and activate the war wards. They'd never been used before and were only a precaution put in place after Grindelwald by Dumbledore, who was worried - rightfully so - that another Dark Lord would rise soon.

It was a painfully slow process, but she watched as the holes in the wards were visibly sealed as more people joined. It felt as if the spell wasn't getting stronger with other people but rather just going faster, a fact that frustrated Mia. She'd hoped to hold it until they were completely ready for the battle. But something was better than nothing, and so they kept working.

Up in Severus's office, the door slammed open, revealing a powerfully angry looking Minerva. Severus narrowed his eyes at the woman. Whatever was happening, _she knew_. They'd had a pact. He would protect students as much as possible, and she would stay quiet and wait until the time was right.

Apparently, she'd decided the time was right without him.

"Minerva, what is happening?" he asked angrily, his voice sharp.

"Harry Potter is here," she told him, much to his horror. She knew that Voldemort could look into his mind whenever he pleased. Obviously, they were ready. For better or worse, he accepted it. "You will leave, Severus."

A thought occurred to him, his earlier ponderings coming back to him. "Someone else is here. Who is it, Minerva?"

"No one important to you," she answered him carefully. Odd, he thought. She was quickly willing to give up Harry Potter, but not this other person. He narrowed his eyes at her.

"Who is Mia Potter? Bellatrix and Dolohov have both been sent after her. Is she here?"

Minerva paled, her eyes wide. Gryffindors, Severus thought, they didn't know how to hide their emotions. Staring him down, she gathered all of her courage and bravery and hid behind them both. "Leave. You aren't wanted here."

"Who is she?" he asked again, this time louder. "Why is she important? If you will not tell me, I shall go find her myself."

And just like that, her wand was out and pointed at him. "Severus, we've worked together for many years. If you've ever valued me or my advice, listen now. Stop asking and _leave_."

His lips thinned. She wasn't going to tell him, that much was obvious. His wand dropped into his hand and he turned on his heel, apparating out of the room. He wasn't going to get anything more there.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **2:00 am**

Neville and Seamus stood on the wooden bridge connecting Hogwarts to the Quidditch pitch and Hagrid's hut, along with the Forbidden Forest. Aside from those things, it connected the castle to the Death Eaters lining up in the forest at the edge of the wards. He'd already watched them rush forward and saw around six people be killed by the wards. Still, he was certain they wouldn't hold. There were multiple curse breakers working on the complex wards already, and he could tell they were weakening. He'd been given the task by a ruffled looking McGonagall to blow up the bridges. He and Seamus had gone to the most direct route while Kat and Jess went for the stone bridge.

The placing of the bombs - courtesy of Fred, George, Fabian, and Gideon, which was a terrifying set of people - had been quick to set, and would go off when someone spelled the trigger, which was why he was at the end of the bridge. He wanted to destroy the bridge, but he found his eyes scanning the crowd. He'd run into many Death Eaters over the last year. The guard of Hogwarts fluctuated constantly, and he'd realized after a while that babysitting the kids was a punishment. An effective one, he assumed, considering no one spent more than a week at Hogwarts aside from the Carrows and Snape.

He'd never told anyone, but he'd always had his suspicions about Snape. He'd been afraid of the man, sure, but when it came to the war, the man hadn't leaned into being cruel but rather exhibited extreme control and restraint. He'd even saved a few non-Slytherin students from detention and subsequent torture. When Hermione - Mia - had firmly claimed that Snape was cruel not because he wanted to be but rather because she'd made him be, it made sense.

He eyed the line of Death Eaters. He could see Voldemort at the front, staring at the castle. The sight gave him chills. He'd never seen the man in person, and now that he had, he knew Voldemort wasn't truly a man anymore. He looked next to Voldemort, where his eyes settled on Bellatrix, speaking heatedly with a man that was clearly an inbred pureblood. Beautiful, but mad. Still, he couldn't help but stare at Bellatrix. She and her brother in law tortured his parents with Barty Crouch Jr. They'd taken many years with his parents from him, and he was only marginally calmer about it since they were better, thanks to Mia.

He wondered what they were talking about and tried to read their lips. He'd gotten good at it when he'd been a child trying to understand what his family was talking about when they put up silencing wards.

" _She was yours to take care of,"_ Bellatrix accused, her eyes sharp with madness. " _The Dark Lord told you to kill her!"_

" _I did more than kill her,"_ the man replied with what looked like a cruel laugh. The sight made Neville shiver. " _I carved my name into her stomach!"_

" _Obviously you didn't kill her,"_ Bellatrix shot back. " _Since you failed the first time, I shall do it this time."_

" _She was already afraid of me the first time,"_ the man told her with a smirk. " _I'm sure she's terrified of me now. The Dark Lord says she's mine."_

Neville watched as Voldemort reprimanded them both and they fell silent, though the man was still smirking, and Neville figured he'd gotten his way. He had a sinking suspicion of what they were talking about, and he pulled out his wand to send a Patronus to the girl in question when he was interrupted by Voldemort screaming loudly in pain, gripping his head in his hands. The sight shocked not only Neville but all the Death Eaters except for those closest to him, who only looked worried.

Someone approached him and in return to the obvious offer of help, Voldemort killed the man before turning his wand angrily to the wards and absolutely destroying them. Neville's eyes widened as he realized there was nothing holding them back from him anymore.

He shot the spell at the trigger and he sprinted down the bridge to avoid being taken down. He knew multiple Death Eaters were following him and he was forced to hold a shield behind him as he ran since they were throwing curses at him. When he was halfway down the bridge, he heard the bombs at the end by the forest blow and was relieved that for the moment, no one else could get to the unprotected castle. He was relieved only for a moment until he saw some Death Eaters simply apparating onto castle grounds, and his heart raced as he sped up.

The bombs caught up with him, and he felt his feet slip from underneath him. He scrambled to grab onto the wood as it cut his shirt and stomach and gasped in relief when he managed to hold onto it. They'd only placed the bombs halfway down the bridge and to the end where the Death Eaters had been lining up, having given the other half of the bombs to Kat and Jess to blow up the stone bridge on the other side of the castle. Truthfully, not many people recognized them, but they'd been the only ones to offer to help with the dangerous project and so they'd been given the job.

Neville pulled himself up and scrambled over to his friends, hugging Ginny back even as she smacked him for almost dying. They rushed away to greet the incoming Death Eaters, wands out and shields up.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **4:00 am**

After two hours of fighting to meet up with Sirius, Regulus finally found his brother. He smelled like smoke after the fire getting slightly out of control, though James had helped to control it, having followed them back into the room. The diadem had been destroyed, though the Room of Requirement had survived the fire, much to everyone's surprise. Harry and James had separated to go help fight and Regulus had left to find his brother. He knew they wanted the same thing and as much as he wanted to find them and kill them alone, he was a Slytherin and he fought smarter, not harder.

"There you are," Sirius groaned, shooting a nasty curse at a masked Death Eater. "Are we going to find them?"

"I'd love to," Regulus replied, putting up a shield around them to block a curse coming from the side. "Come on."

"Has anyone seen them?"

Regulus nodded. "I asked around and they were seen together near the kitchen about ten minutes ago."

"Let's go, then."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **5:00 am**

"Draco!" Mia called, rushing over. "Draco, where is your mum? Where is she right now?"

He stared at her in confusion. "Shouldn't you be-,"

"Answer me!"

"She's with him," he said in a rush, confused. "With the Dark Lord and my father."

"Okay," Mia breathed in relief. "Let's hope she stays there. Can you get a message to her without anyone else knowing?"

He nodded slowly, confused.

"Tell her that Voldemort - don't flinch, it doesn't fucking matter if we say his name - that Voldemort has to kill Harry but that he will come back. She has to let him kill Harry."

"I'll let her know."

"Thank you," she touched his shoulder lightly before rushing off again. She'd escaped her friends and had been fighting strategically the same way that her Death Eaters were. She'd suggested they do so to protect themselves. They could take out Death Eaters from high points and protect the light and if they got caught, they could simply claim they were doing it the opposite way. Still, they'd left a large gap on the east side of the castle, so she found a room that overlooked the grounds and began taking out Death Eaters quickly and easily.

As far as she could see, it was a fairly even fight, but the Death Eaters were unorganized. The Order and the DA were not. So far, there had been very few deaths on their side. Hestia Jones and Alicia Spinnet had been killed early on, and it hurt to see them lie so motionless, but she moved on nonetheless.

"Mione, we need you in the Great Hall," Ron's dog patronus ran into the room. He sounded out of breath and anxious, and talked in a rush. "We're backed into a corner here. Not holding well. Trying to push them out in front of the castle."

She cursed quietly and rushed out. She was six flights of stairs away from the Great Hall, and it would take her too long to run down them all. Cursing herself, she jumped over the banister and fell freely, holding her hand out in front of her and waiting until the right moment.

" _Arresto Momentum_!" She screamed, stopping her descent barely a foot from the floor. She released the spell and dropped into a run, dodging hexes as they chased her, the wizard running after her silently. Her shield was shaky and she fought to hold it strong.

And then one hit her.

Ropes wrapped around her legs and she fell to the ground, hitting her head hard against the stone floors. She was hit with a cutting hex to her back and she gasped as blood pooled up. Someone walked toward her, and she struggled against the ropes. They were in a somewhat deserted area of the castle as no one wanted to risk using the stairs and falling off during a duel.

She was shoved onto her back and she felt the blood soak through her shirt and stick to the ground beneath her. Her stomach did flips and she felt a sob build up in her chest at the sight of Dolohov grinning above her, his wand held tight in his hand.

"Oh, Mia," he whispered, kneeling down close to her. "I killed you. Did you come back so I could do it again?"

"Get away from me," she shouted, hoping someone would hear her. She could hear steps on the stairs above her, a couple flights up, but no one came running to help her. "Don't touch me."

"You're mine to touch, remember?" his smile turned into a sneer and he sent a cutting hex at her stomach just below her chest, cutting part of her shirt off of her. She bit her lip hard while he traced his name that was carved into her stomach with a finger. "This is proof. Mine."

"If I belonged to anyone," she began, her eyes flashing with a mix of fear and anger. "It would be Regulus. We're bonded, Dolohov. No matter what you do to me, you can't change that."

"How did you do it?" he asked her, ignoring her words, though she could tell it angered him greatly. "How did you come back? I know you were definitely dead."

"Blood magic," she answered shortly. "Something else you can't change."

His eyes lit up brightly and she immediately regretted telling him. She'd thought he'd be upset at the prospect of never truly killing her, but instead he was excited. "So I can kill you however many times I want and you'll always come back… ah, I knew you were perfect for me, Mia."

"Get away from me," she snapped, leaning up to bite his arm hard. She couldn't do much else, and it was somewhat effective. He jumped back to look down at his bleeding arm in shock. When his eyes turned back to her, he looked as unstable as she remembered.

"You bitch!" he shouted, grabbing his wand and pointing it at her thigh. " _Sectumsempra_!"

She cried out in pain as the curse cut her deep. It was how he'd killed her the first time and she wasn't eager to repeat the process. Still, the steps were getting closer and she only hoped it was someone on their side. She had to keep going.

"Get away from me," she yelled, shifting enough to wandlessly hit the wall with a bombarda. Unfortunately, only some of the debris hit him, a large rock falling on her foot as well and breaking it.

"You'll regret that," he snarled, throwing a cutting hex at her legs. He moved on top of her to straddle her, and she knew her blood was soaking into his robes. She had a sick feeling that he would enjoy that. She struggled as he leaned down and bit down on her neck the way she'd done to his arm, also drawing blood. When he pulled back, he raised his arm. She expected a curse to come, but instead, he did something very muggle.

He slapped her.

She reeled and looked at him in shock, finally understanding what he was doing. He was trying to assert his dominance. He looked down at her and stared at her eyes, but she stared back, a sign that she'd never submit to him. Furious, he raised his wand, though he stopped as his eyes caught on someone walking down the stairs.

"Come to join the fun, Snape?"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Severus had been unsure why no one stopped him as he walked through the castle. He'd received plenty of glares, but no one had made a move. When he got back to his office, he dropped the memories on the table next to the pensieve and then made his way out. The Dark Lord had called for him and while he didn't want to be late, there were things Potter needed to know.

The walk down the stairs was a long one. He could hear fighting below him, a girl calling out for help. As much as he wanted to help her, he knew he couldn't. It wasn't his place. The war would end with Potter one way or another.

As he rounded the corner and walked down the last few steps, he saw who was there. Dolohov. He frowned. He'd always had a deep hatred for him that he'd never understood. He knew the things the man did to people but it had always felt like there was more to it, so Severus tried to avoid the man as much as possible. And it looked like whatever poor girl he was with was going to receive the ultimate treatment.

"Come to join the fun, Snape?"

Severus kept his face neutral. "Not quite. The Dark Lord has called for me."

"Severus," the girl choked out as he walked around them. He made the mistake of looking down. Very few people addressed him by his first name. He was shocked to find Hermione Granger lying in a pool of her own blood, half dead underneath Dolohov. As the horrible man sat straight up, he caught sight of barely healed scars on her stomach that spelled out _Dolohov_. His stomach flipped. The sight made him furious, and he suddenly wanted to kill Dolohov, though he wasn't sure why. He knew what the man did, and he'd never cared much for Granger. And yet she spoke his name as if she knew him. "Help."

"Better get going then, huh?" Dolohov suggested. He nodded once and forced himself to look ahead and began walking. The second he started to leave, he could hear Dolohov send a _crucio_ at Granger. After barely a second, it let up, and she screamed a single word.

"Sano!"

He stopped in his tracks as something tickled his mind, something trying to come loose. Dolohov hit her with another Crucio, and he shifted uncomfortably at the sound of her cries. When he let up, she called out again.

"Severus, please! Sano, Sano! Severus, _please help me_!"

The memories drop into his mind abruptly and he grabbed the wall to stay standing while his fake memories and emotions were replaced with real ones. He understood that Dolohov was still hurting her and she was still begging for help, but as his mind readjusted, he was completely unable to move. His mind ached from the change when it was finished, but he couldn't focus on that.

He turned on his heel and shot an admittedly distracted and weak stunner at Dolohov. The man fell off of her and he rushed over to pull her into his lap and heal her quickly. She'd been hit with Sectumsempra at least three times in different places and had lost a great deal of blood. How she was alive was a wonder to him and he did his best to keep her awake as her head bobbed to the side, resting on his arm as she began to fall unconscious.

"Mia, Sano, stay awake," he requested in a soft whisper. "You're going to be okay. We'll get you downstairs and heal you up, okay? Stay awake, come on."

"Sev," she whispered, her eyes closed.

"I'm right here," he assured her. His mind was a blurry mess, but he knew enough to know that everything he'd done, he'd done for the small, weak girl in his arms. He couldn't let her die then, not again. "You'll be okay. Hang on."

"Severus," she said again, coughing a little. "Please, do you forgive me?"

He scoffed at her as he healed the last major cut. "For what?"

"For making you spend your life like this," she clarified in a whisper so quiet that he barely heard it. "I hated it, I didn't want to ask you to do it. I'm so sorry. It's so selfish but please… forgive me. Be my friend."

"I've never been upset with you," he promised her honestly as he lifted her in his arms and made his way to the dungeons, running and trying not to hurt her as he did. "I only regret that I had to be so cruel to you."

"You are… one of my best friends," she breathed out slowly, her voice getting softer. "I love you."

"Stay awake, Mia," he begged her, speeding up. She was too weak and he was worried she wouldn't make it to the dungeons in time. "Come on, you don't want to leave Regulus, do you?"

A small smile graced her lips. "Did you know… I was going to marry him?"

"You will," he corrected her. "It'll be lovely."

She didn't reply then and he broke into a sprint, trying his best not to jostle her. The potions room was just around the corner and he managed to slam it open with a spell, barely managing not to drop her as he did it. He carefully put her on a table, throwing everything off of it as he did. He summoned a plethora of potions and groaned as the mark on his chest began to burn as she began to die. The heat worsened dramatically every few seconds, and he began to truly wonder if he could save her.

"No, not again," he growled, dumping the potions down her throat before casting a diagnostic spell.

"She's lost too much blood."

He jumped at the voice of a young Hermione, who was looking at Mia in concern. "And she has a bad concussion. If you don't take care of those, she's going to die."

"I can't give her too much blood replenishing potion," he argued. "It'll poison her and then _that_ will kill her."

"Then do a blood transfusion," Hermione told him as if it were obvious. And once she'd said it, it really was.

"Am I a match?" he questioned.

"No, but Harry is."

He cursed loudly and cast a Patronus, a doe. "Harry Potter. Mia is bleeding out, she needs a transfusion. Potions will kill her. Come to the potions room _now_ or she will die."

The doe rushed off and he got to work on the concussion which, according to the spell, caused slight brain damage. He tried not to focus on that as he carefully fixed it.

A crack sounded in the air and he saw Harry standing with James and looking spooked. "Potter - Harry - pull your sleeve up… how do we do this?"

"Why are you asking me?" Harry asked him with wide eyes.

"Not you," he snapped, nodding his head at Hermione. "Her."

She talked them quickly through the steps and looked relieved when it began slowly working. "Now spell it to speed up."

"Isn't that dangerous?" James asked, looking between his sister and his son.

Severus groaned in pain as the mark began to glow brightly even through his blood-soaked robes, catching the attention of Harry and James both.

"Yes, but do it," Hermione snapped. James held up his hands as Severus cast the spell and within three silent minutes, the color was returning to Mia's cheeks. He moved onto the other multitude of injuries that weren't life-threatening after the transfusion finished and Hermione disappeared once more. Mia was still unconscious, and Severus didn't feel like waking her until she was all healed, though the burning on his chest was dimming somewhat already.

"How the hell did this happen?" James demanded, his mood changing from worried to furious. "Who did this?"

Severus looked into the man's eyes. "Who do you think?"

James shouted, throwing a sharp hex at the wall across from him. He ran his fingers through his hair and turned around to pace angrily.

"I don't understand," Harry looked between them. "Who…?"

"Mia," Regulus screamed as he ran in the room, Sirius on his heels. "Fuck, Mia…"

"She's okay," Severus told his old friend. "Barely."

"She was dying!" Sirius shouted. "Did you do this?"

"No," Severus replied, his eyes flashing angrily. He would never hurt her, and he'd thought even Sirius knew that. "Take a wild guess who did."

Both brothers stilled, and Severus could see matching fury and insanity in their eyes.

"Sirius?" Harry asked, hesitantly. Severus guessed he'd never seen the man like this before, and he was right. "Who did this?"

"Dolohov," Sirius replied, his hands shaking at his side as he looked at Severus. "Did you kill him?"

"I was trying to get to Mia," Severus shook his head. "It was bad."

"Fuck," Regulus breathed as his eyes caught on a specific injury that Severus had already tried and failed to heal completely. "Fuck!"

A few things shattered around the room with an outburst of accidental magic and Severus looked at Sirius. "Get control of him before his magic hurts her more."

"Reg," Sirius muttered, moving to stand in front of his brother. "She's alive, she's going to be okay."

"Sirius," Regulus said, his voice low and much too calm. "At sixteen, he threatened her with horrible things. After that, he has slapped her arse, tried to kill her in the library, gave her bruises at a fucking ball, tortured her in a classroom, and then tortured her for days before raping and killing her. And now aside from his fucking name on her stomach, _he bit her neck so hard it scarred_. You want me to fucking calm down?"

Harry paled as he looked at Mia, finally noticing her bare stomach that Severus had carefully been standing in front of. "Oh my god."

"Regulus, get out," James snapped loudly and angrily. At the dangerous look he was given, he continued. "Keep in mind that Harry knew almost none of that, and now you've shared some of the worst things that have ever happened to her without her permission. Remember when Sirius did that when you two first met? She was horrified. Get the fuck out."

"No," he replied sharply. "We have a soul bond, she heals better when I'm-,"

Sirius shot a stunner at his brother and caught him as he fell to the ground, taking his wand from him.

"Dad," Harry looked to James with wide eyes. "Did all of that… did he seriously…?"

"Obliviate him," Severus suggested, earning himself three glares. "Mia never wanted anyone but Regulus to know what happened to her that last day. The only reason you two know is because she wanted Sirius to suffer for bringing her back."

" _Why_?" Harry questioned in shock.

"Because she wanted to be dead," Sirius answered in a whisper, the memory still haunting him after so long. "She was furious that I'd brought her back. She… she'd begged Dolohov to kill her and she wanted to stay dead, regardless of how safe she was."

"She didn't want to remember," Severus explained. "By bringing her back, you forced her to deal with everything he'd done to her. I know how bad it was, Black. Regulus told me she wanted to kill herself."

"Oh my god," Harry stared at them.

"It was bad, pup," Sirius nodded slowly.

"Did you know? About the… last day?" Harry asked Severus. The man nodded slowly.

"She didn't say it, but she wouldn't let us touch her. She was scared of anyone aside from Regulus for weeks. Eventually, she would hold our hands or hug us again, but it was obvious what had happened, and Regulus just confirmed it now. Besides… Dolohov had a reputation, even then."

Harry was silent for a minute before he nodded once. "Do it."

"Harry, no," James argued, but Severus raised his wand and cast the spell, taking away the memory of the past few minutes. No one tried to stop him because, by the time they could, he'd already begun, and it was incredibly dangerous to interrupt the spell. With the memory removed he turned back to Mia to heal her broken foot before quietly waking her and not giving Sirius or James the opportunity to yell at him.

Her eyes blinked open slowly and she looked up at him, fear in her eyes. He could tell she was still confused and tired, so he gently grabbed her hand.

"It's me, Sano," he told her. "You're okay. I told you that you would be."

"Severus?" she breathed, reaching up to touch his face. He let her and saw her relax when she realized he was real. "What happened? Did I- oh… Oh."

"You're okay now," James reminded her, coming to stand on her other side. Harry followed him, still looking confused. Sirius came to stand next to Severus silently, watching her as she put things together. Understandably, her focus was on Severus.

"I'm so sorry," she whispered, holding her hand out to touch his cheek again. He let her, grateful for the comfort and the way her warm hand reminded him she was okay. "Please don't hate me."

"I could never," he promised. "I agreed to all of this. You did nothing we didn't talk about before."

"I wanted to tell you days ago," she promised in a whisper. "But there was so much to do. I wasn't even going to tell you until after the battle."

"When did you get back?" he asked, looking between Mia and James.

"The day we left," Mia answered. "The 19th."

Harry stumbled, grabbing onto the table to hold him up. Though it wasn't only him - everyone in the room could feel and hear the same thing he was.

" _You have fought valiantly, but in vain. I do not wish this. Every drop of magical blood spilled is a terrible waste. I, therefore, command my forces to retreat. In their absence, dispose of your dead with dignity…._

" _Harry and Mia Potter, I now speak directly to you. On this night, you have allowed your friends to die for you rather than face me yourselves. There is no greater dishonor. Join me in the Forbidden Forest and confront your fates. If you do not do this, I shall kill every last man, woman, and child who tries to conceal you both from me."_

The voice stopped and the group sat in silence for a long minute before Mia pushed herself off the table. "Let's go, Harry."

"Hold on," Severus grabbed her arm gently. "There are things you need to know."

"We know," Harry promised him. "Mione says I'll come back. We planned for this."

"We did not plan for him calling you both at once," Sirius corrected. "I don't like it. We said Harry first, then Mia."

"I can't fight him now," Mia told them like it was obvious. "After Harry, there's still one left, and I'm not sure how we can kill it."

"What is it?" James asked her.

"His snake, Nagini," she replied.

"He takes that snake everywhere with him," Severus warned. "It'll be near impossible to kill."

Mia tilted her head as she thought. "What if we got a basilisk fang to Narcissa and she did it?"

"That would risk her being killed," Severus replied stiffly.

"Then I'll be nearby. She can kill it and I'll jump in right away. They won't have time to hurt her."

"This all depends on him killing me first," Harry reminded them.

"Right," Mia nodded. "Well, we have the basilisk fangs. I'll come with you and give it to her while you face Voldemort."

"I don't like this," Sirius muttered. "I'm coming with."

"No, Pads, you can't," James shook his head. "You have to stay here to tell Regulus what happened when he wakes up. There's no way in hell we can tell him beforehand. I'll go with them."

"As will I," Severus said, but Mia shook her head.

"You can't."

"Why?"

"Look," she sighed tiredly, looking between the group. "I read through Orion's book."

Sirius stiffened. "After what he did, I can't believe you kept it."

"What did he do?" Severus frowned.

"It isn't important right now," Mia told him, annoyed. "But from what I can tell… there's a wand out there. I don't know if it's as powerful as the book says, but there's a blood trail to mark where it's been. Orion listed it as far back as he could, and it ended with Dumbledore."

"Okay…"

"So," she breathed out fast, amazed that even Harry didn't understand. "Voldemort wanted this wand. I'd guess he took it from Dumbledore's grave. What he doesn't understand is who the wand is loyal to."

"Okay," James shrugged. "Who is it loyal to?"

"Well, Severus killed Dumbledore, but before that, Draco disarmed him. But Voldemort doesn't know that, so he thinks that the wand is loyal to Severus. Which means, he wants to kill him to get loyalty of the wand."

"Of course," Severus whispered, annoyed. Even in his relatively safe place as Voldemort's trusted friend, he was still marked for death. "But it's loyal to Draco?"

"No," Harry realized with wide eyes. "Mione, are you saying-,"

"Yes," she nodded. "You disarmed Draco in Malfoy Manor. The wand belongs to you."

"Holy shit."

"There's more," she told them, looking around at them. "Harry, you have the cloak and the stone."

"Okay."

She blinked. "It's just a story, but it says that whoever holds all three Deathly Hollows will be the Master of Death."

"Right," Sirius said after a long moment of silence. "Let's focus on getting Harry killed and then we can talk about fairy tales."

"Yeah," Harry agreed, looking a bit dizzy. "We should, um… let's go."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **6:30 am**

"Mione- um, Mia," Harry whispered as the small group of three made their way through the forest. She looked over at him as James grabbed her arm to duck under a branch. "Does… ah, nevermind."

She knew what he was trying to ask even without hearing the question. Truthfully, their situations would be very different. Voldemort was likely to simply Avada Harry while Mia had died in excruciating pain.

"It won't hurt," she assured him. "It'll be peaceful. I don't know where you go when you're dead… I only remember bits of darkness, but you'll come back to us and be okay. Dying isn't hard, Harry. It's everything leading up to it that's hard."

He nodded his head as they approached the clearing and got a good look at who was waiting for them.

"Perhaps we should seek them out, my Lord," Lucius suggested, earning himself a dangerous glare.

"No. They will come to me."

"Maybe they'll bring you the traitor Snape," Bella suggested with a laugh.

"Calm yourself, sister," Narcissa looked at the woman in disgust.

"You can do it," Mia promised, placing a kiss on Harry's cheek. "Just come back to us."

"Right," Harry nodded, handing his wand over. They didn't want to run the risk of Voldemort disarming him and truly owning the wand he wielded. With the wand in James's tight grasp, Harry stepped forward until he could be seen by the large group.

"Ahh, Mister Potter," Voldemort greeted with a cruel smile. "You didn't bring your aunt."

"She's a bit preoccupied," he deflected the question. It was technically true. She was at the edge of the forest, trying to discreetly gather Narcissa's attention. "I thought maybe I'd be okay instead."

"You are worthless without Mia Potter," Voldemort spat. "You are no threat to me anymore."

"Then why did you want to kill me?"

"To finish what I started all those years ago," Voldemort answered in true villain style. He raised his wand and it took everything in Harry not to run as he screamed the spell Harry had spent so many years hiding from.

" _Avada Kedavra_!"

Mia was right. It was painless. Harry felt himself jolted out of his body, though he was still…. there. Around him he could see King's Cross in all white. Underneath a nearby bench was a shriveled, dying creature.

"Nasty, isn't it?"

Harry's fists clenched in anger as he turned around to see Albus Dumbledore with his hands held together in front of him. " _You_."

"My dear boy, what have I done to deserve such clear hatred?"

"You knowingly let Sirius rot in Azkaban," he glared darkly. "You could've put me with my godfather, a man who loves me, and instead you put me with a family who hated me and hated magic to be abused my entire childhood. You put me in numerous dangerous situations all my life, but no more than when I was in your care, in your school. Then you let yourself die and left the entire war sitting on my shoulders, _and you didn't even tell me that Hermione is my aunt_."

Dumbledore nodded slowly. "I'd always gotten the impression that Miss Potter had a distinct hatred of me. I see she has passed that onto you."

"Because you don't give a shit about people! Or their lives! Tell me the truth, could you have stopped the prophecy and saved my mum?"

The man hesitated. "It was more complicated than that, my boy. Voldemort already knew-,"

"Oh, _no_ ," Harry took a step back. "I have two words for you, _Albus._ Two words that my entire family would love to say to you."

"Oh?"

" _Fuck you_."

Harry's eyes flew open, though he remained where he was. Someone was leaning over him, and he saw a mix of black and silver hair fall in front of his face.

"Draco," the woman, Narcissa, whispered. "Is he okay? Is he alive?"

"Yes," Harry breathed. Narcissa straightened and turned to Voldemort.

"He's dead."

Voldemort burst into laughter as Hagrid cried out. They were both cut off, however, by an anguished sound of pain from Nagini as a basilisk fang sunk deep into her and she fell to the ground, dead.

With Voldemort in pain and distracted, Mia and James grabbed Harry and shot the chains off of Hagrid and ran as fast as they could. Mia grabbed onto both of them and apparated back to the castle grounds where there was destruction surrounding them.

"They'll be coming," James said in a rush.

"Then we need to make sure everyone is inside," Mia insisted, rushing toward the Great Hall where she found a room of injured. There were few dead, and as bad as she felt for feeling relieved, she saw no one she was close to aside from… "Oh, no…" she whispered, running across the hall to fall to her knees beside the dead body of Samson Dodd. "What was he doing here?"

"He felt you dying," Leon answered her. He was the only one that was near the man, and she appreciated him all the more for staying with his body. "He came to help you."

"And he got killed," she whispered, her hand coming to the bare part of his chest that showed her paw print. "Fuck. He didn't deserve this."

"He left something for you," Leon touched her shoulder, handing her an old journal. "He said it would be important to you someday."

She took it from him, admiring the royal blue color. There were two words written on the front, and she blinked at them in confusion. _The Doctor_. She shook herself and shoved the notebook into her beaded bag to examine later. "Thank you, Leon. Um… have you seen Reg?"

"Yes," he nodded quickly. "And he's terrified. Severus gave him two calming draughts and stunned him again. I think they're in the back with the waiting students. He didn't want to wake him until you returned."

She got to her feet and grabbed her friend in a hug, overwhelmingly grateful for his help and loyalty. "Thank you."

"Always, Sano."

She gave him a soft smile and made his way over to the seats in the back where she could see Sirius arguing with Severus.

"-saying, he couldn't hurt her if he wanted to," Sirius insisted.

"He's hurt her on accident before," Severus argued heatedly. "And he can't control his accidental magic. Leave him like this until she's killed him."

"I'd prefer if we wake him for now," Mia cut in, getting their attention. "Just in case something… happens. There are things I need him to know."

"Sano," Severus looked at her in worry. She smiled back. Even seeing him older and how she'd known him as a young girl, she only saw one of her best friends, and there was no awkward period in adjusting their relationship. Releasing the memories made it feel like it had been just yesterday, and he finally knew what he was missing, what his motivation for everything he did was. Mia. "That's not a good idea. You didn't see how he reacted-,"

"I don't care," she told him firmly. "He needs to see that right now, I'm okay."

"But are you?" Bill asked, making his way over. She narrowed her eyes at him. Aside from Regulus, he was the only one that would know when she was absolutely bullshitting.

"I just need a couple potions," she nodded. "I'll be fine. Last he saw me, I was unconscious and hurt. I'd panic if I were him."

"She has a point," James told Severus. "When Lily got hurt on a raid, I lost my mind. She did the same when I almost died at work. Just wake him for a bit and let them talk. They don't have long."

"Oh, fuck, right," Mia winced, getting to her feet with Bill's help. She was beginning to shake again, a good reminder to everyone of what she'd just gone through. She cast _Sonorus_ and addressed the entire room. "We have an update, if I can have your attention!" The room quieted and the only noises came from healers bustling around the room. "Okay. Every object that was necessary to destroy before killing Voldemort has been destroyed!"

There was some confused clapping.

"No, that's a really good thing," she laughed. "It took us a good long while to do that."

There was some more enthusiastic clapping and she moved on.

"Right. He's had his shot at Harry - he's fine, don't worry, he's right here - and now he's after me, and he's fucking pissed. I'm going to request everyone stay indoors while we fight. We don't know what he's going to throw at me and I want you all to stay safe. It shouldn't be long. He should be relatively easy for me to kill now."

"When will he be here?" Gideon asked her from the bedside of… Percy?

"Soon," she told them. "Maybe twenty minutes. So count all your friends and family and make sure you know where they are…. this is the end. If everything works out as planned, this is how it ends. This is good."

She cancelled the spell and sat back down, watching everyone huddle into groups and talk in hushed whispers, as if speaking too loudly could ruin everything.

While she waited for Severus to retrieve the potions for her and another calming draught for Regulus, she walked around the hall with Bill taking note of the dead. After two laps, she'd counted all of them. Eleven people had died. She repeated their names and faces in her mind, a mantra reminder her not to let them die in vain.

 _Lavender Brown, Colin Creevey, Sybill Trewlaney, Cho Chang, Ernie Macmillan, Zacharias Smith, Aurora Sinistra, Hestia Jones, Elphias Doge, Alicia Spinnet, Samson Dodd._

There were only a few others, and they'd been taken home to Bulgaria by their family when Voldemort had called the break. Still, Mia pledged to learn their names later on and honor them accordingly.

She made her way over to Regulus and sat down, waiting for them to wake Regulus. Sirius stayed with the couple but everyone else - Harry, Avery, and Severus - walked away from them to give them privacy.

Mia woke Regulus and Sirius stepped back, far enough away for them to talk alone but close enough to help if Regulus lost it again. Regulus shot up, his eyes wild with fear and fury. Mia leaned back as he grabbed her shoulders.

"Regulus, stop," she put her hand on his arm. "Stop it, I'm okay."

"No, it hurts," he argued, and she had to admit he was right. She could easily lie to her friends, but Regulus knew every bit of pain she felt. "He hurt you again, Mia."

"I know," she breathed, slowly pressing his hands down from her shoulders and cupping his face in her hands. "And I'd love to take the time talking about it but Reg, Voldemort is coming and he'll be here in ten minutes. We don't have the time."

" _Fuck_. What the hell happened while I was out?"

"It actually… went really well, considering," she told him truthfully. "Voldemort told Harry and I to come to the forest and called off his forces. We went and while he killed Harry - he's okay - I killed Nagini because Narcissa was preoccupied. It was… difficult not being noticed, but we managed it. Reg, that's it. That was the last one. He's going to be here soon and I'm going to end it."

"You have to be careful, Mia," Regulus told her, looking into her eyes seriously. "It won't take much to kill him but he's strong. Be careful."

"I'm scared," she admitted softly. He nodded and pulled her into his arms, where she relaxed gratefully.

"Me too, Little Lion."

Across the room, Harry, Severus, and Avery were walking together. Not on purpose, in Harry's case. They'd just sort of stuck together, and no one seemed willing to bother them.

"I'm not hurting her!" Kat yelled angrily, standing protectively in front of a bed holding her older sister, who was pale and unconscious. "She's my sister!"

"You're a Slytherin," Parvati defended, her wand still raised at Kat. "How did you escape? They put you somewhere!"

"We didn't- oh my god," Kat ran her fingers through her long black hair in frustration, looking ready to curse the girl in front of her. "Would it help if I told you she's a Ravenclaw? Just leave her alone. She needs to heal."

"Parvati," Harry rushed over, standing between the two with Avery and Severus following him. "Stop it. Hermi- er, Mia said they're good, they're fine. Worked with us."

"Harry," Parvati looked tired and scared, and Harry couldn't really blame her for the way she was treating the girl. "Didn't Hermione put all the Slytherins in the Chamber?"

"She did," he confirmed. "But some of them, like Kat and Daphne, worked with us. I promise. Right?" he looked to the girl, who nodded firmly.

"We took out the other bridge."

Severus nodded. "I can vouch for Miss Miles."

"Miles," Avery spoke up with a confused frown. "Like Nikoli Miles?"

"He was our father," she nodded slowly. "You knew him?"

"A long time ago, apparently. Is he-,"

"He died," she interrupted. "Last year with our mother."

"But who is she?" Parvati asked, relaxed more now that Harry seemed to trust her.

"Kat Miles," she introduced. "We've been in classes together for seven years, thanks for noticing."

"What happened to Jessica?" Severus asked, frowning at the unconscious but otherwise seemingly unhurt girl.

A flash of shame crossed Kat's face before it disappeared, her face void of emotion for the first time in the conversation. "I was duelling a nasty Death Eater by the stairs and he got me for a second… it was awful. She felt it and came to find me. She managed to distract him, but he hit her with a curse and I didn't recognize it. She's been like this ever since."

"It might help to know who it was," Avery suggested. "Did you see his face?"

Kat looked furious. "I know who it was. He killed our parents. When I got over there, he'd been stunned, and I thought maybe I could… I don't know, but he got up before I did anything."

"I see," Severus's lips thinned. "Excuse me for a moment."

Harry watched as his old professor moved back over to Mia, Regulus, and Sirius and muttered a few words to Sirius before both men made their way back over to them. Sirius looked as angry as he'd been earlier when he'd found Mia, and Harry suddenly realized what had happened. Kat had stumbled upon an unconscious Dolohov, and apparently, he'd killed their parents.

"Miss Miles," Severus nodded at Sirius. "This is Sirius Black. Unfortunately, he's the best expert on diagnosing dark curses that we have right now."

"Tell me what happened," Sirius demanded. Kat repeated herself, this time adding more details and even showing him the way Dolohov had flourished his wand when casting the curse. When she was done, Sirius got to his knees and cast a few spells on Jess. "This is simple, actually. He must have been in a hurry."

"What is it?" Kat asked him, her brow furrowed. "I can feel her, she's… uncomfortable."

"Wait, what?" Harry looked between the people around him before looking at Kat. "You can feel her?"

"They share a rare bond," Severus explained. "It caused quite a few issues when Jessica came to school in her first year. There have only been a few cases of misplaced twin bonds the way that they have."

"So like… Fred and George?" Harry guessed.

Avery nodded. "Fred was pretty uncomfortable when he was in the past. He hid it from Mia because she had a lot going on, but it physically and mentally pained him to be away from George. It was easy to see, especially once I understood what was going on."

Harry looked between Jess and Kat. There looked to be only a year or so difference between them, and he understood why they'd be so uncomfortable being apart.

Sirius chanted softly as he waved his wand over her body healing her. As he went along, Kat visibly relaxed as if she could feel her sister being cured. When Sirius lifted his wand, Jess was still asleep, but Kat didn't seem concerned.

"Thank you," she offered Sirius a genuine smile.

"It's a good thing I got to you when I did," he admitted. "The curse Dolohov shot at her is easily reversed but still nasty. It was essentially transfiguring her internal organs into stone permanently. If it had finished, it would be incurable."

"I'd just like to ask whoever stunned Dolohov why they didn't fucking kill him," Kat muttered. Sirius looked to Severus, eyebrow raised.

"That is a good question, isn't it? If he'd just died, the stress of him hurting her again would be over," he said, obviously referring to Mia instead of Jess now.

"I want to kill him," Kat decided firmly. Avery let out a humorless laugh.

"Get in line. It's a long one."

Harry doubled over, gripping his head in pain. It was happening again.

 _Mia Potter. You cannot escape me again. If you refuse to face me, we will come inside and slaughter every friend and family you've ever known. You have two minutes._

Harry turned to look at his friend, surprised to see she was engaged in a deep kiss with Regulus. The sight made him cringe, but he didn't have to worry because it ended abruptly and Mia ran down the steps and from the room, not looking at anyone on her way out. Harry rushed after her with the crowd and they stopped just outside of the door, their eyes on the powerful pair.

Voldemort held the Elder Wand in his hand while Mia's own was empty. They stood for a moment of silence before Mia spoke.

"Tom Riddle," she addressed him. He visibly tensed, and she felt a trill of satisfaction run through her. "You had me killed once. What makes you think you can do it again?"

"Your luck is not endless, Potter," he spat back at her.

"Neither is yours. We got rid of all the horcruxes. Hell, you even killed Harry for us. Don't you think it's ironic that, had you just left him alone, you could've lived forever? And now all it'll take is just the right spell…"

Voldemort's eyes drifted to the crowd, where they paused on Regulus and Avery, who he thought to be dead. "Regulus. I always thought that maybe you'd become a trusted friend. I was crushed when you died."

"I was never loyal to you," Regulus told him, his voice a deadly calm. He was practically vibrating with nerves watching his old master stand in front of his soul mate with the intent of killing her.

"Ah, I see that now," Voldemort nodded, looking back at Mia calmly. "You will not win, Potter."

"Tom," she said, her eyes flashing a brighter gold. "Your own _muggle_ father didn't want you. Why would the wizarding world?"

" _Avada Kedavra_!" Voldemort screamed. Mia tossed a nearby piece of the castle in her path and watched it explode. Only her hastily placed shield blocked her from the debris. With her shield still up, she began throwing silent curses of her own. An _Impendimenta_ was directly followed by _Rectus_. The first spell hit him, but the other slammed into the ground next to him. He threw another _Avada_ at her and it missed, hitting the wall behind her.

Mia moved to the side as he pulled himself to his feet and she cast _Avis_ and then _Oppugno_. Whatever spell he cast next was not one she recognized, and fire bloomed from his wand in shape of a snake, swallowing her birds whole and rushing after her. She dropped to her knees and moved the shield above her instead of in front. For the most part, it worked, but the fire caught her hip and part of her leg, and she grit her teeth, willing herself not to scream. She used _Aguamenti_ to cut off his fire, and he ended the spell when he saw it was no longer working.

Voldemort threw another _Avada_ , though this time at Regulus, who was wincing in pain and holding his hip, feeling the burn she'd just gotten. Her breath caught as she pulled another piece of the castle over and watched the horrible spell be absorbed. Unfortunately for her, Voldemort took the moment while she was distracted to his advantage. She felt a _crucio_ hit her and forced herself to stand still and refused to fall to the ground as her body so desperately wanted. She gathered all the strength she had and twitched her hand toward the man, throwing a _Confrigo_ at him. The bright light of the spell tipped him off and while she did miss, he also let up on the _Crucio_.

She hurriedly put a shield back up and assessed the situation. He looked tired already and while she was in excruciating pain from the nights earlier torture and the torture she'd just endured, she was still fine power wise and felt okay to beat him. Everyone watching was silent and she knew that after Voldemort had attacked Regulus, they'd rushed some of the younger students and more frail people inside the castle again.

Voldemort threw another silent curse at her and her shield deflected it. It rebounded and she watched, uncaring, as it hit a Death Eater and killed them. Voldemort cast again, and she returned, ducking to avoid the spell while her shield moved to cover her side, where he'd sent a _Bombarda_. The pair were moving faster now, casting faster, racing to see who could do better, who could finish it all.

When an _Atlas_ curse hit Oliver Wood, Mia screamed in frustration and, to the absolute disapproval of all of her friends, removed the shield from her and stretched it farther than she'd ever done before to cover every member of the light that stood behind her. It was bright and tall and strong, but it also left her open to be hit, which, by the smile on Voldemort's nast face, was his plan.

They began shooting off spells once more, moving quickly again. She'd yet to hit him with anything strong enough to kill him, while he was wearing her down. Without her shield, she was hit with a deep cutting hex, an unknown dark curse that made it hard to move her hands, which messed up her casting, and finally, he'd hit her with another _Crucio_ that lasted only moments before she'd collapsed to the ground screaming.

"You can't win, Mia," he taunted, walking over to her with his wand pointed down at her. "You will lose. Your power is so wasteful on the blood traitors. Join me and we can rule the world. Join me and you need not ever fear Dolohov again."

She met his eyes, furious. "It's your fucking fault he ever hurt me to begin with, Riddle. I won't fear him because someday soon, I'm going to kill him, but not before I kill you."

"Shame," he sighed, jerking his wand forward to silently cast the _Cruciatus_ again. She could vaguely hear people screaming but no one came to help because during it all, she still held the shield that protected them.

When he let up, she rolled onto her back to look up at him, her face grim. Her arms were pinned somewhat underneath her, but her hands were sticking out just enough to hit him.

"Give up, Riddle," she told him. "Your horcruxes are gone. There's nothing more you can do."

And then he cast a spell she'd only ever read about in a book she'd found in Grimmauld Place, a book Sirius had taken from her when he'd found her with. _Omnis Dolor_.

She screamed in pain, her body curling up into a ball as every bit of pain she'd ever felt came back to her all at once, overwhelming her mind, body, and magic. She couldn't move, and all she could think was that she wanted to die, she wanted to be dead again. It hurt so much that part of her felt like it was just normal, like she could survive like that. The rest of her, however, heard Regulus screaming.

She twitched painfully and moved her hand to point at Voldemort, casting the only spell she could think of. _Deprimo_. The pain stopped suddenly as the spell hit Voldemort and he dropped his wand to the ground. Her entire body twitched and she watched the invisible force press down on him, somewhat like the _Atlas_ curse, until he just… exploded. She felt drips of blood rain down on her as she faded into a painful unconsciousness.

As soon as she passed out, her shield dropped and people ran forward. Unfortunately for the Death Eaters, Minerva and Severus had reset the anti-apparation wards while Mia was fighting Voldemort. Multiple people grabbed the Death Eaters and tied them up, but there was a large group of people that didn't even notice as Mia's friends reached her. Regulus was unconscious, his chest glowing brightly through his robes. The same was happening to all of her Death Eaters, and Sirius was gripping his wrist in pain.

She was dying. _Again_.

They transported her into the Great Hall where Madame Pomfrey and Sirius - the best resource on dark magic that wasn't unconscious, dead, or arrested - began healing her to the best of their ability.

"Fuck," Sirius whispered, his wand rushing over her hands. The nerves in them had been cut with a spell and it took him nearly ten minutes to heal them up. The other injuries were hard to heal, but the most difficult one was from the torture. With how frequently she'd endured it, the permanent damage she had was worsening, especially with the toxic magic Voldemort had had. While torturing her, his magic had poisoned hers, feeding off of it and growing the infection.

"I am unsure how to heal this," Madame Pomfrey admitted. "She'd need a healing bond, but she cannot make a new one in such a dire state."

"She has one," Sirius called, sprinting from the room. When he returned, a panicked Bill followed him, stopping only when he reached Mia's side. He grabbed her hand and winced hard, looking tense.

"She's dying," he told them. Sirius held up his glowing wrist.

" _Thanks_ , we know."

"Mister Weasley," Madame Pomfrey addressed Bill. "You need to tell me if what I'm doing is spreading the infection or making it worse. There's no way for me to tell right now."

Bill nodded and they got to work, Bill guiding the nurse the whole way. It took nearly six hours to remove the entire thing, and when they were done, they were exhausted.

"Now she needs to rest," Madame Pomfrey told them after giving her a plethora of potions.

"Will she be okay?" James asked anxiously, having joined them an hour earlier.

Madame Pomfrey offered him a kind smile. "It's too early to know, but I'm hopeful. How is Mister Black?"

Sirius winced. "Still unconscious. And we're all still glowing."

The woman let out a tired sigh, looking between them. "Most people don't endure the things this girl has in their entire life. She's gone through all of this in the course of under a year. It's understandable that her body and mind are exhausted. You have to be prepared for the possibility that… she may not be the same as she was before."

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	20. Waiting

**April 22nd, 1998**

The day after the war officially ended was quiet.

The castle was still filled with the majority of the fighters. The students that hadn't fought had been sent home or, in the case of orphans, taken to Potter Manor where they were looked after by a rotation of people.

Rebuilding was delayed until everyone was healed. While few had died, many were injured, some horribly so. Percy Weasley had been nearly crushed by a falling wall. He'd shoved Fred out of the way and was only saved by his uncles, both of whom had been nearby at the time the wall had fallen. Aside from Percy, most everyone had some injury or another.

As for those with the paw prints, they were being looked over by Madame Pomfrey when, twelve hours after the final battle ended, the marks hadn't faded at all. While they weren't overly concerned, the mediwitch had concern over what magic was feeding the marks and who, if anyone, it was draining. When Severus had told her it was Mia but was unable to explain more, she went to find someone that was more of an expert on core magic. It led to a bit of an awkward meeting between all of them without their leader and for the first time with the newly marked Slytherins.

"You really had no memory of… all of this," Draco said to his godfather, who looked away from the still unconscious Regulus.

"None at all. She made sure of it."

"Okay, but what exactly did you think the mark was?" Astoria questioned, her head resting in Daphne's lap.

"That's a good question," Kat agreed. "Did you think you, like, got super fucking drunk and got a random tattoo?"

"It was placed under a heavy notice-me-not charm," Severus said, rolling his eyes at Astoria and Kat both.

"Does this _ever_ stop hurting?" Blaise wondered, staring down at the mark with a glare. He'd removed his shirt shortly after Voldemort had fallen and hadn't yet bothered to replace it.

"Not until she dies," Avery answered shortly. He was given a number of uncomfortable looks and he just nodded at Severus, Leon, and Rodolphus. "I mean it. It'll stop when she's dead or healed."

"Then she should make up her fucking mind," Draco muttered bitterly. "What's taking her so long?"

"Mia went through a lot with us," Avery told him sharply, obviously not happy with his remark. "And even more before she ever went back in time as I'm sure you'll remember. She has every right to be a little fucked up."

"Well I have a question," Daphne said, glancing to Regulus's unconscious form and then at the others from the 70s. "Why did any of you even join her? That must've been dangerous."

"It was," Severus told her slowly, thinking it over. "But she had a goal. She wanted to help us regardless of the future she knew, so she did. It started with Regulus, of course."

"She mentioned once that he found out she was from the future right after they realized they had a bond," Avery continued. "And then he held her at wandpoint because she'd let down her Occlumency shields and he knew she wasn't who she said."

"After Regulus was me," Severus continued. "She was avoiding him and worked with me in potions one day. I would equate this to her status as a Legendary, but she was… charismatic. We trusted her instinctively to do what she promised she would."

"But what about _you_?" Draco asked, staring at Rodolphus. "You're married to Aunt Bella."

"Your aunt had a habit of Imperiusing me," he told his nephew slowly. "I told Mia and she taught me how to throw it off and gave me my mark."

"So it was obvious she was collecting a little army of Death Eaters," Kat guessed, pressing a hand to her mark with a wince as it grew a little hotter for a moment before relaxing again the way it had been for hours.

"Only to someone watching closely, which I was," he explained. "She asked a lot of us. She made me Vow to watch her be tortured, but I think she asked no more of anyone than maybe Severus."

"And then she took my memories so I had no choice," Severus added with a nod. "She is right. I never could have done it had I remembered her and knew who she was to become."

"But what's it like now?" Astoria questioned him. "You know, now that you know everything."

"I see everything in a different light," he replied quietly. "I know who she was, I know what I said and did and I know that, despite hating that I did it, she was right that I had to. Those twisted memories she created for me are… mostly gone. I remember them but not the way I used to. They made me a very different person from who I actually am."

"It's incredible that Granger turned out to be so powerful," Theo said, speaking for the first time in a few hours. He looked at the older men and Avery. "What if she dies again?"

The men exchanged a glance and it was Leon who answered him. "Sirius will bring her back again."

"She said she came back with all of the injuries she had when she died," he explained his point further. They understood his question: what if she couldn't be healed ever?

"I think there are enough of them that they'd fight magic itself to see her healed," Daphne told her friend. "We just have to suck it up while we wait."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

The Potters sat in the room together quietly, having gathered all together after the students had been sent to Potter Manor. Dorea and Charlus had planned to stay there to take care of them but Molly and Arthur had sworn to take care of it and sent them back to the castle.

"What was it like?"

Harry looked up in surprise at the voice to see his father looking at him with a frown. "What was what like?"

"Death."

"Oh," Harry breathed, looking to Sirius with a frown. His godfather looked broken as if he already knew the answer, prompting Harry to turn back to James. "I don't really know. It was… weird. I was in King's Cross. I saw the dying Horcrux and also… Dumbledore."

" _Dumbledore_?"

He shrugged. "He accused Mia of having spread her hatred of him to me so I told him to fuck off."

"Harry James," Dorea said, though she gave a startled laugh.

"I think that's bloody brilliant," Sirius told his mum. "If we can't let Mia go back in time and kill him, the least we can have is Harry telling the dick to fuck off."

"What was she like?" Harry asked softly.

"Mia?" Sirius wondered, pondering the question. Harry shook his head.

"Mum."

When James didn't answer, Sirius did, taking in a deep breath. He'd talked with the boy about his parents a few times but nothing in too much detail. "She was one of the most brilliant people I've ever known. She had a strong sense of right and wrong that didn't falter one bit in the war. Mia told us, you know, that there is no right and wrong in the war and I- well, I believed her, so did your dad. Never Lily. Lily knew better than us, better than even Mia."

"She took you to your first flying class," James continued, surprising Harry. "I was completely against it. Too dangerous, I told her. She reminded me how often I'd preached the safety of brooms and that toddler brooms were even safer than that. I asked her, you know, why she cared since she hated Quidditch and she told me that as much as she wanted you to get a good muggle education before Hogwarts, she also wanted you to know the wizarding world the same way I did."

"I went with her," Charlus agreed. "She held my hand through the entire class. She was terrified you'd fall of."

"And it was Lily that gave me permission to buy you your first toddler broom," Sirius added.

"We have plenty of memories to give you," Dorea assured Harry. He looked at Mia's tense and pained body.

"She said she knew what Mum did," he said softly. "But she gave her a ring. She gave her a ring and she didn't even warn her or- or tell her not to do whatever she did."

"We would have to… ask her about that," James said slowly. "But she did say that whatever Lily did, it saved you. I'd guess she didn't want to make the decision to save Lily and risk you dying and.. I don't… disagree with her."

Harry's eyes fell on Sirius. "Is she really that different than Hermione?"

"She is, Pup," Sirius confirmed with a small smile. "The Hermione I remember at the end of your fifth year, she was still… she hadn't seen much darkness, but she also hadn't been given such a strong reason to want to live and be _happy_. That's us, but more than us, it's Reg. Those two quite literally cannot live without each other."

"Do you think she's gonna wake up?"

"If she doesn't, I'll go to the ministry and drag her back to life kicking and screaming again," Sirius told him firmly. "She doesn't get to die again."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

" _No."_

"Yes!"

" _No! You aren't ready. I'm weak. You know that means something."_

"Neither of us know if anyone is safe. I won't fucking let anyone else die."

" _Voldemort is dead."_

"But his followers aren't."

" _You aren't ready. Full recovery will take quite a while. Wake up now and you'll be in as much pain as you were when you woke up after dying."_

"And I fucking survived that."

" _Because I was stronger!"_

"Let me wake up!"

" _No!"_

"Let- me- wake- _up_!"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

All conversation was stopped abruptly by Regulus screaming and shooting up into a sitting position, grabbing his head.

Kat let out a screech and jumped behind Theo, who rolled his eyes at her. "It's alive!"

" _She's awake_ ," Regulus groaned, squeezing his eyes shut.

"Poppy said she wouldn't wake up for some time," Severus said, putting a hand on his back. "Is she okay?"

"No," he answered shortly with much effort. "She shouldn't be awake. _I_ shouldn't be awake. Where is she?"

"They're in a classroom down the hall," Theo provided. "Her family is with her."

Before Regulus could even get up, the doors burst open and a manic Mia sped into the room with her brothers, parents, and Harry rushing in behind her. Her eyes scanned the room and she visibly relaxed upon seeing them all there, though she ran over to Regulus.

"What the hell are you doing?" he asked her sharply, though he stroked her hair gently. "You woke us up."

"I can't afford to sleep," she told him, pressing a kiss to his lips. She turned to see everyone staring at her. "What?"

"You're awake," Daphne told her. "But we're still glowing."

"Yeah, this shit hurts," Blaise added.

"Well I'm not _healed_ ," she scoffed at them as if they were ridiculous to assume so. "I forced my magic to release me so I could wake up because I was concerned for everyone's safety."

"Sano, this is dangerous," Severus tried. "You need to rest. Heal."

She offered him a smile and touched his cheek. "And you already know I won't listen to you, Sev. I appreciate the worry."

"Mia Mine, you almost died," Sirius told her gently, walking over with James behind him. "You have to heal or you could hurt yourself more. Look at your wrist, your mark. They're still glowing. You're still at risk of dying."

"I'm not going to _die_ ," she disagreed, though she did glance at her wrist. "And I couldn't stay there while I wasn't sure that everyone was okay, could I?"

"Wait, you were conscious?" Kat wondered, stepping out from behind Theo finally. "Dude, you were in a coma."

"Well, it's sort of hard to explain," Mia allowed. "I wasn't conscious enough to hear what everyone was saying, but I was talking to my magic and shit."

"Mia, it's dangerous," Regulus told her again. "This is dangerous."

"I'm fine."

"It's not just you," Dorea told her carefully. "Mia, dear, if you die, Regulus will, too. You're putting him at risk, too. Sirius can only bring you back."

Mia paused to look around at the people around her. "My magic is weak. She said it'll… take time. I don't want to wait."

"But you need to," James said, taking her hand. "Please, Mi. Rest."

"With Regulus," she decided firmly. Her entire family breathed out a sigh of relief and agreed to the request. The couple were moved down the hall to where she'd been resting and Madame Pomfrey was called to place them both once more in a healing coma.

Once they were asleep, Madame Pomfrey demanded to run tests on them and kicked the Potters and friends out of the room, leaving them to wander around the castle and begin helping with rebuilding.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **April 23rd, 1998**

 **Hogwarts**

Neville was walking through the school with his parents when he spotted Remus Lupin talking with Sirius Black and James Potter. His parents smiled at the sight of them, too. Neville had learned just the day before that his parents had been a part of the Marauders' wider friend group and that they'd gotten closer after Hogwarts, too.

"I'll hex you," Remus warned James, who let out a laugh.

"Look, I'm just saying, you're a _wimp_."

"Why's that?" Frank asked, looking between them. The other men smiled at him and Alice brightly, as well as Neville.

"This big wimp freaked out when Mini Tonks told him she was pregnant," Sirius explained, putting a hand on Remus's shoulder. "Tried to go on the run with the kids."

"How did that go?" Alice asked gently. "Neville's told us about what happened here but we don't seem to know about on the run for them."

"Mia told us about it a little bit," James admitted. "Sirius more than anyone."

"It sucked," the man in question admitted. "It sucked for them. They had to break into the bloody Ministry and then escape. Mia said that the worst part for her was always waiting for something to happen."

Remus nodded along. "She told me that too."

"You guys knew the entire time they were there," Frank shook his head. "You're shit at keeping secrets. How the hell did this not get out?"

"No fucking clue," Sirius admitted. "Fred was probably the biggest risk. He doesn't always listen to himself when he speaks."

"What're you guys doing?" Remus wondered, looking at the small family. "I figured you'd go home."

"I didn't want to leave," Neville explained. "My friends all stayed to rebuild and I should too. Ginny did."

"Well, to be fair, the people that came back to life for her weren't her parents," James pointed out. "You guys should go and get some rest, we've got it handled here."

"I figured you'd all be sitting with Mia," Alice told the trio. "Why aren't you?"

"We got kicked out," Sirius pouted. "Mum and Dad did, too."

"Then perhaps you should all go home," McGonagall suggested, walking down the hall. "You can do nothing productive here."

"I'm offended," Remus looked at the woman. "I haven't been pouting over Mia's bedside for two days."

"Sure," Sirius agreed. "Just pacing and pouting. Not much better, Moony."

"Go," McGonagall instructed all of them. "Come back tomorrow."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Harry sat on the bench with Ginny, his eyes on the courtyard around them. They'd sat there for three hours already, both silent as Harry tried to work through whatever was bothering him.

"I can't date you again," Ginny said suddenly, startling Harry. The boy blinked at her, confused. "I'm sorry, Harry, but I can't. I love you, and I always will because you'll always be… family, but we can't date again."

"I didn't- what? I… what?"

"I just needed to tell you before anything happens or any assumptions are made."

"Ginny… I know. I'm not thinking about dating you, no offense. I love you, but we're not-,"

"We don't fit," she agreed, relieved. He nodded along and she relaxed and bumped his shoulder. "Then what is it that you're thinking about?"

"Mia," he admitted.

"She's different."

"She's not Hermione," Harry said softly. "Hermione would have tried harder to save my mum."

"Oh, Harry," Ginny breathed, looking at him. "You don't know that she didn't."

"My dad told me," he disagreed. "He told me she made a ring for my mum but said nothing. She gave my dad the ring for my mum, but she didn't _do_ anything. She just let her die."

"Maybe she had a reason for it."

"She saved my dad but she didn't save my mum. I don't… know if there's any reason good enough to do that, Ginny."

"You heard them," Ginny waved at the door in front of them. "She got really fucked up. Maybe she did the best she could. You didn't have your dad for seventeen years, Harry. Now, because of Mia, you _do_. Don't you think that maybe you should think about that? She gave you something incredible."

"I just want to know why," he whispered.

"I know. But… maybe there isn't a good reason. Maybe you won't know your mum personally, but now you've got so much more than you did two weeks ago and it's all because of her and Fred. You need to think about that, Harry. You've got a father, a godfather, and grandparents now. Be thankful for that. They can tell you about your mum."

Harry glanced at Ginny and nodded quietly. She was right. As much as he couldn't help but be upset with Mia, he also knew Ginny had a point - when Hermione and Fred left, he'd had no family left. But when she came back, she brought so many people he'd lost back with her. He had no right to be upset with her. He could grieve, maybe, but not be angry.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **April 25th, 1998**

 **Potter Manor**

While Potter Manor had been used as a temporary orphanage, it had been cleared out on the third day after the end of the war. The three days in between, Narcissa had hired a large team of curse breakers to search Malfoy Manor top to bottom for any and all dark magic. Once they'd cleared it, all of the children and those that had volunteered to take care of them had been moved to the newly cleared Malfoy Manor. Narcissa had told Sirius she wanted to put it to good use, so she'd begun paying those helping to take care of the children and assured Kingsley she'd soon put in the papers to make it an official orphanage.

Since Potter Manor was finally emptied again, it began to fill up with close family and friends. Dorea and Charlus asked all of their children to move in again and only Fred had declined, preferring instead to stay in the flat he shared with George. Aside from their children, they welcomed Narcissa and Draco to join them at Sirius's request. Mia's Death Eaters had been invited as well, and Avery, Severus, and the Miles sisters had agreed. Severus wanted to be close to Mia while she healed, Avery had nowhere to go, and the Miles sisters had nowhere to go because their home had been destroyed by Death Eaters during the attack that had killed their parents. Daphne and Astoria stayed in Greengrass Manor, and Theo moved in with Blaise so that he could take on the exhausting task of cleaning out Nott Manor the same way Malfoy Manor had been. With his father having been a curse breaker, the entire place had been filled with many dark items that needed to be carefully handled.

Kingsley stopped by that evening to speak with them. Truthfully, he wasn't sure who he came to see - family, close friends, or everyone? Regardless, everyone that was either staying there or just visiting gathered in the library when he got there to give them the information he had. All in all, the entire group that had been invited to stay in Potter Manor was there, plus Remus, Tonks, Teddy, Andromeda, and the Prewett twins.

"Thank you for coming," Charlus smiled, guiding Kingsley into the library, which was rather full of the people that fought in the war. It wasn't mostly Order or mostly DA, it was mostly Mia. She was what brought the groups together, and it was interesting to Kingsley to watch them from the outside. Harry was sitting close to Draco, talking calmly with Blaise, who looked bored. That alone was an impressive sight.

"I wanted to update you all on who was arrested," he explained, gathering their attention. The group all turned their attention to him, surprising him. "I'll be straight with you - we arrested much fewer than we hoped to. Many escaped before we got to them, some even before Mia managed to kill Voldemort. A lot were killed in battle, too."

"Who?" Astoria asked, breaking the moment of silence.

"Rookwood," Kingsley began. He had the list memorized as he'd visited each prisoner in their cells. "Rosier, Yaxley, Crabbes Senior and Junior, Goyles Senior and Junior, Jugson, Snyde, Rowle, and Macnair."

"Not Dolohov," Sirius said softly.

"Not Bellatrix," Fabian added. Kingsley shook his head sadly.

"We did our best, but many Death Eaters left during Mia's fight with Voldemort."

"My father?" Draco asked, looking sick. "My father, he wasn't arrested?"

"Perhaps we should discuss this in private-,"

"What happened to him?" Narcissa questioned, staring him down. Kingsley looked between mother and son and sighed.

"It seems he was killed. We have his body."

"Well, who killed him?" Draco asked sharply. Kingsley shook his head.

"It was a war, you have to understand. People die."

"But you know," he pushed. "You can see who cast the last spell on him and what it was. I know you can. Who killed him?"

"Mia," James answered when Kingsley wouldn't. Everyone turned to stare at him in surprise. "I ran into her not long into the battle. She was fighting him and I was going to help her, but she hit him with-,"

"She killed him," Kingsley interrupted. They didn't need to know the harsh curse that had managed to slip through Lucius's shield.

"Good," Narcissa said firmly, looking pleased. Everyone looked at her in surprise and she rolled her eyes at them. "He was a vile man. The only reason I ever stayed with him is because there was no Lord Black to protect Draco and I, had I left."

"Arcturus didn't die until 1991," Sirius disagreed. "He could have helped you."

"Arcturus Black spoke to no one and helped none of his family," Narcissa informed him. "He didn't leave Black Manor for years. He was unreachable and otherwise unwilling to help."

"What about Dolohov?" Kat asked Kingsley, interrupting. "He killed our parents and tried to kill Jess and I. Someone needs to find him."

"Mia won't stand hiding," Avery agreed. "She'd hex us all before we kept her here."

"We have people looking for him," Kingsley assured them. "And Bellatrix, but wherever they are, they can't be tracked. We're doing our best."

"It's fucking pointless," Sirius huffed. He was tense and had jumped to his feet to pace angrily. "We're never going to get him. One of these days, he's going to fucking kill her and it'll be our fucking fault."

"Sirius," James snapped loudly, grabbing his arm. "She wouldn't _let_ us go after him, remember? Upholding time and all that bullshit? We can now. It's different."

"Well, what did he do to Mia?" Jess asked, looking around. The sisters hadn't been told anything aside from Avery's bitter remark about how many people wanted to kill Dolohov.

"A lot, I guess," Harry answered her when no one else bothered to. "He killed her."

"Well, I'll help," Tonks told Kingsley.

"Nymphadora, you can't," Andromeda disagreed. "It's been three weeks since Teddy was born, you need more time."

"I'm an Auror," Tonks scowled. "I know how to track people, mum. No one else here does."

"We do," the Prewett twins said together.

"So do I," Sirius nodded.

"And me," James raised his hand.

"None of you are active Aurors," Kingsley frowned. "I _suppose_ we could put you through some fast training…"

"Yeah! Do that."

Kingsley sighed at the group and shook his head. "Fine. We'll dedicate you to finding Dolohov and Bellatrix, but the pay won't be good and you'll have to go through all of the training once things calm down."

"I… would like to join them."

Everyone looked at Snape in surprise and he resisted the urge to scowl. The bitterness and anger were leaving with the fake memories, but it did linger a little bit. "I did what I had to do for Mia, but I did want to be an Auror. Becoming one for her seems right."

"Hey, can we be Hit Wizards again?" James asked. "For me, it's only been a few months, so I can still do it all."

"I'm not sure we can guarantee your reserved hospital bed anymore," Kingsley joked. "Yes, you can. All of you come into the Ministry tomorrow and we'll get to work."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **April 27th, 1998**

 **Potter Manor**

"If you're doing better, we can wake up, right?" Mia asked. She'd been conscious in the coma ever since she'd been put back in it by Madame Pomfrey. She was certain the only reason she was still asleep was, once more, her magic.

"No," Hermione huffed, annoyed with her. "I don't understand how you lost the incredible virtue of patience when you became Mia. You should really work on that."

"There's so much to do," Mia sighed, ignoring her words. "I have to check on everyone, my friends and my family. I need to help rebuild the castle! Oh, Merlin, it was so messed up. I need to talk to Harry and Jamie about Lily… they're probably so mad at me."

"You need to _rest_."

"But it isn't dangerous anymore," Mia pointed out. "Right?"

"You're no longer in danger of dying," Hermione confirmed slowly. "But you are in danger of being more permanently damaged. If you wake up before you're ready again… Mia, you may never get better."

"Well, let's put this in perspective. I can't have kids, I'm scarred all over, I shake and am in pain constantly, and we don't know when _that_ will go away, right?"

"Maybe a few years," Hermione confirmed. "Maybe longer."

"So how much worse could it get?"

"You don't seem to understand what I'm doing, do you? I'm not trying to heal _you_. I'm trying to heal _Regulus_. If you wake up too soon, your long term issues could transfer over to him. Give it time and he'll be perfectly fine when he wakes up."

Mia threw her hands up. " _Why didn't you_ _start with that_?"

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **May 2nd, 1998**

 **Potter Manor**

It was Regulus that woke up first. As soon as he did, monitoring charms sounded and Dorea rushed into the room to check on him. Her kind smile did very little to soothe his nerves. He was surprised to find that he was in very little pain and mostly just stiff.

"Better," Dorea muttered to herself. "Much better. How do you feel, Regulus?"

"Fine," he said after a moment. He glanced to his left to find Mia lying on the bed, still unconscious and still horribly pale. "Is she still…?"

"She needs more time," Dorea confirmed softly. "Her magic seemed to be working more on you than on her. For a while, it seemed like nothing was happening for you and then suddenly there was a surge of magic so strong that it set of my charms. I would guess that it won't be long for her now. Maybe a few hours."

Regulus was quiet as she spent another few minutes fussing over him. Multiple diagnostic spells were cast and once she was satisfied with his health, he was allowed to get up and eat, shower, and change his clothes. By the time he got back into the bedroom, Avery was sitting next to the bed and holding Mia's hand. "Avery."

"Dorea said you were up," Avery commented, not bothering to look at him. "She also said Mia should be getting better quicker. She isn't."

"Did Dorea-,"

"She did her scans," Avery confirmed, grabbing his wand. When he waved it over Mia, Regulus froze. "She isn't getting better. At all."

"I don't… understand," Regulus frowned. He moved to sit on the bed with Mia and grabbed her free hand, stroking it with his thumb. The feeling of her magic racing to her hand to meet his thumb shocked him. "I can feel her magic."

"Dorea isn't the sort to lie," Avery reminded him. "Something is wrong."

"Why would she lie and say Mia should wake in a few hours if she isn't going to?"

"I don't know," his friend admitted. He used his free hand to lift his shirt up, pointing out the still glowing mark. It wasn't a shock to Regulus - he'd already seen his own when he went to shower. He'd hoped it was some sort of mistake. Obviously, he was wrong. Despite the way the mark wasn't as bright as before, it still worried them both deeply.

Regulus shifted in the bed until he was partially leaning over her and pressed his forehead to hers. Her magic ran up to meet the spot where their heads were touching as well and he sucked in a sharp breath at the feeling. "Wake up, Mia."

The whispered words were meant only to express his fear that perhaps she _wouldn't_ wake up, but they did much more than that. Their magic touching, his words were a wish thrown into a well. There were ripples of magic itself throughout her and suddenly, her eyes opened.

And then she shot upward and slammed her head into his.

" _Ow_ ," Mia groaned, her hand coming to touch her head. "Ow! Merlin, you have a hard head."

Regulus stared at her, his head beginning to throb. " _Mia_? You can't be awake, you're not healed!"

Mia looked between him and Avery, catching the shock on her friend's face. "What? I thought you guys _wanted_ me to wake up."

"We did, but you shouldn't be- Mia, he's right," Avery told her slowly. She squeezed his hand in comfort and didn't bother to interrupt him. "You're still badly hurt, Mia."

"I was talking to my magic," she looked between them like it was obvious. "We came to a decision. The damage to me, it's done. There's no taking that back, no real healing it, either. She was putting so much effort into healing me while you were still badly hurt, Reg, and we decided against that."

"You… decided against it," Regulus repeated. Mia nodded, eyeing the spot where he was rubbing his forehead absently.

"Yeah. Look, I'm fucked up, there's no changing it. But _you_ … we could heal you. So we did that and then it was just a matter of waiting."

"Waiting for _what_?"

"For you," Mia said. She raised her hand and touched it to his forehead and suddenly he could feel that same magic rushing into the bruise that was forming. The pain dissipated quickly and when he touched it again, the small bump was gone as well. "Needed you to touch me, to ask me to wake up. I dunno why it worked, really, but it did. I was _trying_ to wake up and then I heard your voice and I… well, gave us concussions, I guess."

"None of this is normal," Avery informed them both. The couple shared a look and Mia just shrugged.

"I think I've given up on normal. Whatever my bond with Regulus is, it's fucking strong. It's a lot different from any bonds I've read about before, too. I'm not really complaining right now since we're both awake and okay."

"Maybe we can pivot into the fact that you're _not_ okay," Regulus suggested, eyeing her shaking body. "You need to keep healing, Mia."

"Weren't you listening to me?" she frowned at him. "I _can't_. I tried and I can't. I'm not necessarily going to die anymore - your marks are lying, I promise, and they should stop glowing sometime soon - but I can't really heal much further than this."

"She's right," Hermione said, startling Avery from her sudden spot on his side. "I did my best but I was damaged and transforming, too. I missed the precious hours in which I could have done most of the work. Her waking herself up, of course, made matters quite a bit worse."

"Transforming?" Avery asked her curiously. "You transformed?"

"Ah, right," Hermione glanced at Mia. "We weren't a Legendary before, not technically. Now that you've killed Voldemort, however… the power boost from that had me somewhat out of commission for some time. Our arguments did us no good, either."

"If you weren't so bloody annoying, we wouldn't have argued," Mia huffed, crossing her arms. "What's done is done. Regulus is healed and that's all that matters."

"That isn't true," Hermione disagreed. "It is important that you know that without your bond to Regulus, you will die. You will never get better and you will always rely on your bond to stay alive, so be very careful."

"Well it's not exactly like he's going to go get himself killed," Mia furrowed her brow. "And I'm fine, so please go away."

Hermione rolled her eyes and, thankfully, did just that.

"How did Dorea know?" Avery asked, breaking the beat of silence they'd lapsed into. "She said you'd be waking up soon, how did she know?"

"She's probably the smartest woman I know," Mia told him. "And I've sort of learned not to question her. She just knows things."

"Mia," Regulus said softly. When she glanced at him, Avery got up and quietly made his way from the room, obviously sensing their need to be alone for the moment. Regulus carefully gathered Mia in his arms and closed his eyes, relaxing at the feeling of her warmth and how alive she was.

"I told you we'd make it," she whispered, pressing a kiss to the side of his face. "I told you I'd be okay."

"But you're not."

"But I am," she disagreed, pulling away to look in his eyes. "I am because I'm alive and I'm with you and my family and Voldemort is dead. That's a win to me, Reg."

"You got hurt _again_ ," he reminded her. "During the battle before you ever got to Voldemort."

"I told you we'd talk about it later," she remembered, sucking in a breath. "I guess now is later."

"Do you remember everything?"

"I'm pretty sure," she said with a frown. "Except… um, I don't exactly remember killing Voldemort."

Regulus let out a short, surprised laugh. "I didn't catch it either but… that's a hell of a thing to forget."

"Yeah, I know."

The pair quieted once more. Mia looked at him critically and was glad to see that he really did seem better. He wasn't shaking or wincing the way that she was and since she didn't see any empty potion bottles on his bedside table, she hoped it meant he was all healed. She knew that she was basically the complete opposite. The final battle on top of what Dolohov had done to her before he'd killed her and Bellatrix both in the 90's and the 70's, it had all messed her up pretty badly.

"What happened? When you were fighting Dolohov, I mean."

Mia bit her lip and thought about it. "You really wanna know?"

"Yes."

"I got caught trying to get to the Great Hall to help. Ron said they were being backed in and needed help pushing them out in front of the castle. He hit me with something, a cutting hex maybe, and bound my legs. He… told me I was his and cut up my shirt to… I don't know. Stare at it. I reminded him that you and I are bonded so if I belonged to anyone, it would be you. And he asked me how I did it, how I came back and I told him because I thought he'd be upset at the prospect of never actually killing me, but-,"

"He enjoyed it," Regulus guessed softly. She nodded a little.

"I… bit his arm," she winced. "And he just called me a bitch and hit me with _Sectumsempra_. I could hear someone coming, so I yelled and managed to hit a wall with a wandless _Bombarda_ , but I'm an idiot and some of the wall fell on my foot. And he got on my legs and he was so mad at me and he… bit me."

Regulus's eyes flashed at the reminder and they trailed over to her neck where the scar was in plain view. It was completely healed but would be visible with just about any neckline, much to his frustration.

"He also slapped me," she breathed out shakily. "It was so… muggle that it shocked me. Severus got there after that and he tried to leave and I said it, I needed- I wanted him safe, Reg, but-,"

"He would've killed you," Regulus said softly, his hand coming to stroke her cheek. "I know."

"He was torturing me when Severus was able to… I just remember passing out a little bit after he got to me. And then when I woke up, you were stunned? No one bothered to really explain that to me. What happened?"

Regulus, to her surprise, looked ashamed. "I lost control. I said things in front of Harry that he did not know about. I'm certain Severus will have Obliviated him. I'm sorry, Mia."

Mia nodded slowly. "But why did they stun you? I don't get that. I figure Sirius would've just yelled at you."

"Accidental magic."

Mia's head shot to the door where James stood leaning against it with his arms crossed. "Jamie."

"He was so angry that he lost control of more than just his mouth," James explained, walking in to sit where Avery had just been. "When his magic began breaking things, he was stunned. Snape did Obliviate Harry, by the way. He doesn't know anything you wouldn't want him to know."

"Avery told you?" Regulus asked. James shook his head.

"I just came to check on her," he explained, glancing between them. "Regulus, can we have a moment?"

Despite how desperately Regulus looked like he wanted to say no, he nodded once. He pressed his lips gently to Mia's before slipping off the bed and out of the door. He clicked the door closed behind him to give them privacy.

Mia shuffled a little until she sat up in bed with her back against the headboard. "What day is it? How long has it been?"

"It's May 2nd," he answered quietly. "It hasn't been as long as we were worried it would be."

Mia nodded and fell quiet once more. She didn't want to ask him for updates on everything. She knew from the way he was looking at her that he had a reason for being there and as much as she wished she could put off the conversation forever, she knew that she couldn't.

"Mia," he said softly. She stared down at her hands, unwilling to look at him while he spoke. She knew he had plenty of reason to be mad at her, even to hate her, and while she didn't blame him, it still _hurt_.

"Go ahead," she muttered.

"Mi, look at me," he requested. She bit her lip hard and forced herself to look up. She was surprised to see concern in his eyes. "Don't avoid me. What is it?"

"Aren't you mad at me? Hate me?"

A look of understanding and pain crossed his face, but he shook his head at her. "It wasn't your choice that a prophecy was made, Mia. It wasn't your choice that Voldemort decided to believe the prophecy. It wasn't your choice to come to our home that night and try to kill us all. It _was_ your choice to give Lily and I each a ring. That's why I'm alive today."

"Jamie, you don't get it," she muttered. "I gave Lily the book that let her save Harry. I knew she'd use it because she already had - because that's why Harry lived through first year at all with Quirrell attacking him. I knew she wouldn't use the ring."

James looked a little startled but not the least bit angry, just unsettled. "Fuck, Mia, did you hear yourself? You just told me that you're the reason that Lily was able to save Harry and you think I'm mad at you for that? I miss my wife, I miss her more than anything, but I don't- I don't blame you for her death. I don't want to lose my sister and my wife, Mi."

Mia stared at him in surprise. "I know I've been- I was terrified of changing time, but I sort of wished that she'd find a way, you know. Somehow keep him safe and stay alive."

"I wish you were never in that position," he told her softly and honestly. "It wasn't your responsibility to save my family, Mia."

"I've been saving Harry since I was eleven," she laughed softly. "It's been my responsibility for a long time, Jamie."

"Oh, yeah, he's been telling me plenty about you. You were petrified when you were _twelve_?"

Mia threw her head back. "Harry's got a big mouth."

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	21. Welcome Back

**Hey, I'm still alive! Logically I know it hasn't been fuckin forever since I posted, but it** _ **has**_ **been forever since I've written this, so this was nice. I actually found my muse and have some vagueish plans for the future of this fic, which is always nice.**

 **Sometimes it just takes rereading the entire 150K word fic to care about it again, apparently. If anyone is wondering, yes, this is how I write. I spend a month or two on one thing until I get bored, then reread something else I've written (maybe not the entire thing though) and then get to that. It is, truthfully, an exhausting way to do it.**

 **Enjoy! Let me know anything you'd like to see in this fic in the future, too!**

 **May 2nd, 1998**

 **Potter Manor**

James and Mia talked for only a few more minutes before a nervous Regulus knocked on the door, not at all surprising either of them. Instead of letting him in, Mia carefully got off the bed and walked over to the door and opened it.

"Mia," Regulus said, grabbing her when she grabbed the wall for support. "You need to lie down and rest."

"I've been in bed for eleven days," she said, smacking his arms. "I'm shaky because I need to move. I wanna see everybody and let them know what's going on with me. Who's here right now?"

"Us, Harry, Avery, Snape, Mum and Dad, Sirius, Narcissa, Draco, some of his friends, and Fred. He stopped over this morning with George. They're… terrifying with Fabian and Gideon- oh, they're here, too," James answered her.

Mia blinked in surprise. "Why are Narcissa and Draco here? And which of his friends?"

"Well those girls, Kat and Jess, they're staying here for now. As soon as Mum found out that they were orphans because of Dolohov, she offered to let them stay until they figure something else out. Aside from them, Theo Nott and Blaise Zabini are here. Daphne and Astoria Greengrass were here earlier but they left a little while ago. As for Narcissa and Draco, Sirius asked to let them stay. They're family."

"Merlin, that's so many people," Mia shook her head. "Right, okay. Let's go out there and… start explaining."

"You sure you're up for this, Mi?" James asked, touching her shoulder in concern. "No one would blame you for getting more sleep."

"I don't _want_ to sleep," she huffed. "I want to see everyone and make sure they're all okay. The next person to tell me to sleep is getting hexed."

"No sleep," James agreed quickly, unwilling to risk being hexed. With a pleased nod, Mia stepped past Regulus and walked down the hall, ignoring the two of them as they followed her quickly in concern. She made her way shakily down the stairs and stopped on the library floor.

"Mia!" Fabian exclaimed, freezing in the middle of the hall. Gideon's head shot up and she offered them a smile. "You're awake!"

"For good," she confirmed, preparing herself for the tight hug he grabbed her in. "I'm okay, I promise."

James stepped past them quietly to gather everyone in the library. It took only a few minutes and by the time Mia, Regulus, and the twins made their way into the large library, everyone was gathered already.

"Merlin," Mia let out a small laugh. "You don't all need to be here, you know. It's not _that_ important."

"Yes, it is," Avery disagreed. "If what you said is true, then it's important we keep Regulus safe just as we keep you safe."

"Believe it or not, we can protect ourselves," Mia scrunched up her nose at him. The stares of disbelief she received made her glare at them all. "You guys suck."

"What's he talking about?" Fred asked, looking between her and Avery. "What's going on?"

"Well, there's some good news," she assured them before pausing. "And a little bit of bad news. Mum, they said you knew somehow?"

"Of course I do," Dorea nodded sadly. "You're my daughter. It's my job to know about you."

Mia silently swore that someday she'd figure out how the woman had known and got back to the reason everyone was staring at her. "I'm obviously awake, that's the good news. Another piece of good news is that Regulus is completely healed now."

"Tell them why," Regulus requested softly. Something between them felt just a little different, Mia realized, and it took all of her self restraint to keep from pausing to analyze it instead of talking to the people around her.

"Right, so, uh… I can't exactly be healed," she admitted with a small wince at the looks she got. "I don't entirely understand it, but my magic said that I wasn't fully a Legendary before I killed Voldemort - which, by the way, one of you needs to tell me how it happened because I don't entirely remember - and basically my magic was transforming, so it wasn't able to help me in those first few hours, so I'm super fucked up forever. But what it _could_ do is fix Regulus, so it did that and kept me stable while he couldn't help me, and now… I'm awake and he's okay."

"Sorry, you don't _remember_ killing the Dark Lord?" Draco asked her, astounded. "How the _hell_ do you forget something like that?"

"It wasn't the easiest fight I've ever been in," Mia snapped, feeling judged. "I don't even remember how I ended up so fucked, okay? I think I've got every right to not remember what happened at the end."

"We will tell you," Charlus assured her gently. "Keep going for now. What else do you know?"

"My magic told me that I'm… dangerously dependent on my bond with Regulus to stay alive," she admitted to them. "If our bond is broken somehow, I will die. Maybe not immediately, but soon enough. I think… I think it's sort of like he's holding me steady, like a stasis charm. I can't be hurt more, but I can't really get better."

"Thus why you need to keep him safe, too," Theo realized.

"So you are a Legendary now?" Jess wondered. "You had to, what, kill Voldemort to become one?"

"I think it's just that I had the characteristics of one, but I had to kill my first Dark Lord to qualify, I guess. I had to survive that to even have the potential of fighting another and therefore being a Legendary. I wanna make it clear that I still think this Legendary stuff is bullshit, though."

"But your magic said-,"

"I don't _care_ what she said, she's fucking annoying," Mia huffed, glancing at all of them. "That's basically it- oh! The marks, they're still glowing, right?"

"Not as much," Blaise said, lifting his shirt at the same time as Kat.

"Have they been doing that often?" Mia wondered, amused. By the looks on Theo and Jess's faces, she guessed they had. "It's fine. It should probably go away sometime soon. I think the mark has to sort of adjust to my new… uh, standard of living."

"Shouldn't you be resting, then?" Sirius asked her with a small frown. "You don't look great, kitten."

"Rest isn't gonna do much more for me," Mia glanced at Dorea. "Right?"

"Unfortunately, she's right," Dorea confirmed. "She would have been ready to wake up days ago but she was still healing Regulus."

"So what? She's just going to be miserable?" Sirius continued, frowning at Mia. "Mia Mine, you need _something_."

"I will find her potions," Severus spoke up. "For the pain, something longer lasting than regular pain potions."

"Thank you, Sev," Mia smiled at her friend. "I'm really okay, guys. And that's all I needed to tell you, so you can all… go back to whatever you were doing, if you want."

For the most part, they did just that. After a few hugs and saying hello to everyone, most everyone left the area, leaving Mia with Regulus, Sirius, James, and Harry. Dorea and Charlus promised to check on her again in a while and with that, they were alone in the library.

"You know what the _Atlas_ curse is?" Sirius wondered. Mia nodded slowly.

"Yeah, it's fucking terrible. Is that what hit me?"

"No, it's similar to what hit you," he shook his head. "The _Atlas_ curse hit… who was that?"

"Oliver Wood," Harry said with a grimace, one that Mia matched. "He's okay now."

"Thank Merlin," Mia shook her head. "If you're under it for too long, it'll kill you. The entire world on your shoulders."

"What he used on you was called _Omnis Dolor_ ," Sirius said slowly. "It was why I took that book from you the summer before your fifth year, I didn't want you to read about it."

"You know you took it from me _after_ I read about it, right?"

Sirius opened his mouth and closed it again, shaking his head. Mia snorted at the sight.

"You never said how I actually killed him."

" _Deprimo_ , I think," Sirius answered. Regulus looked at Mia in alarm.

"Where did you learn something like _that_?" he asked her, suddenly concerned she had a larger knowledge of the dark arts than he'd originally believed.

"Grimmauld Place," she said, looking between the Black brothers. "You guys don't seriously think I'd read about something and not use it, do you? I learned a lot of dark magic there."

"Damn it, Mia," Sirius cursed, throwing his head back. "You didn't even tell me? You could've gotten hurt!"

"I hardly think that's important now," she scoffed. "Are you just going to lecture me for learning all the magic I could before the war that I knew was coming?"

"She's got a point," Harry nodded at his godfather. "I saw her in there a lot and she always looked like she was being super careful. Plus, it's Her- Mia. She's perfectly safe."

Sirius and James stared at Harry in disbelief.

"Careful was Hermione," Sirius told his godson. "Mia- Mia is _not_ careful."

"I resent that."

"I don't see the problem," Harry continued. "You've made it so clear that Mia isn't Hermione, so why yell at her now?"

"He's got you there," Regulus muttered, pulling Mia into his arms where she immediately relaxed against him. "If Mia wants to learn more dark magic, I'll teach her."

" _Why_?" James asked, vaguely horrified. "The war is over!"

"I'm going to learn anyway," Mia pointed out. "But he'll make sure I'm safe about it."

"I don't get why you want to know," Sirius agreed with James. "It's over."

"And I'm supposed to live for a long time and fight a bunch of Dark Lord's, so I'll probably need this information later on, too."

"Oh, great, I forgot about that," Sirius complained. "Can't our lives be normal for, like, ten minutes?"

"I mean, no, probably not."

Harry snickered, but caught her attention. "D'you know what you're gonna do now that the war is over?"

Mia considered the question. "I really don't _want_ to, but I need to go back for my seventh year. You should, too, Harry. You don't _have_ to be an Auror. You've spent so long fighting dark wizards and I feel like you deserve a break."

The look on his face suggested that he hadn't actually thought about that. "I guess… it's all I know I'm good at. What else could I do?"

"Quidditch, for one," Sirius told his godson. Mia nodded along.

"Or you could become a Defense master and be the first permanent DADA professor at Hogwarts in over thirty years," she suggested.

"You can also get involved with House affairs," James nudged his son. "I'd like you to do that, anyway. If we can get you caught up, I'd like you to take over as heir."

"You want me to- _what_?" Harry stared at his father in shock. " _Why_?"

"It would be dependent on your agreement and catching you up on pureblood lessons and all the other stupid shit you were supposed to learn as a kid, of course. Truthfully, heirs are typically the grandson of the Lord of the family. The only reason I was named heir is because Dad is older than most parents were at the time I was born, and we were worried for how long they'd live for. Now that they've skipped ahead twenty years and Madame Pomfrey claims they're both in good health, I think it should go to you like it was supposed to."

"But…" Harry shook his head, his eyes wide. "But you're only a few years older than me, right? So why does it really matter if you stay heir?"

James looked to his sister. "Help me out here, Mi."

Mia shook her head at her friend. "Harry, your dad's got a lot going on, and he probably will for a while. Aside from the fact that he's right and it would be, traditionally, your role to be heir, it is still important to get you caught up on how to live as a pureblood or half blood in the wizarding world."

"Did _you_?" he questioned her. She tilted her head to the side, considering the question.

"Sort of. Parts of it, from different people, but mostly Regulus, Avery, and Mum. I wasn't too concerned with it with everything else going on. I do plan to look into this pureblood bullshit some more-,"

"Perhaps begin by not calling it bullshit," Regulus said, amused. She made a face at him before turning back to Harry.

"The point is, I think you should do it. Whenever you have kids, it'll be important for you to be able to raise them with this information."

Harry let out a sigh. "Okay. But about the Auror thing… Kingsley needs more, and I know how to fight."

"Harry," Mia began, trying to figure out how to say it without being rude. "Harry, I love you, and you're one of my best friends, so know I say this purely because I know you so well… you only use Expelliarmus in duels, and I get why, but it could be very dangerous for you to do so in a career as an auror. Ask Jamie or Sirius, they know what I mean."

"She's right, Pup," Sirius said regretfully. "You have to be willing to hurt people if you have to, or potentially kill them. Since the minute I met you, I knew you weren't a killer."

"Even though he threatened to kill you," Mia muttered, dodging the elbow Harry threw at her. He let out a sigh and deflated as their words got through to him.

"Okay, so I won't be an Auror. Quidditch was never something I really wanted to do professionally, either, because I'm really tired of being famous, so-,"

"Defense master!" Mia grinned. He nodded along.

"What do I have to do to become one?"

"Take your seventh year, for one," James began, thinking. "You'd have to specialize in Defense, which would probably mean extra classes and being an apprentice."

"And after your seventh year, you'd continue working as an apprentice," Sirius agreed. "It depends how long depending on who you work under. That's basically it. Being a Defense Master doesn't just mean being a professor, either. You can work with the ministry and teach the aurors and hit wizards new techniques or methods."

"I guess I'll… owl Professor McGonagall," he decided, looking at them.

"Oh, I'm going to go see her tomorrow," Mia assured him. "I can let her know we're both going back."

"I will be as well, Little Lion."

Mia looked at Regulus in surprise. "But you're eighteen."

"It turns out, if you miss your NEWTs for a raid, you can't go onto your seventh year," he explained. "I had to retake it, and I was at the end of the first semester of my seventh year when I went to the cave."

"Oh!" Mia's eyes lit up. "Okay."

"Man, I forgot how fucking old I got," Sirius complained, throwing his head back. "All of you are like… twelve."

"You sound like Emmaline," Mia snorted.

"And you're not alone," James assured him. "Moony's an old ass man, too."

Sirius looked at his friend. "You know what? You're right. I think I'm gonna go bug him about that, in fact. He can be miserable with me."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **May 3rd, 1998**

 **Potter Manor**

The next day, Mia got up at nine and got ready. It took her much longer than she'd have liked, but after an hour and a half, she'd managed to shower and get dressed. When she got down to the dining room to eat, she found the large table full of people. She sat down between Regulus and Avery, who had left a spot between them very purposefully.

"-ridiculous!" Astoria exclaimed angrily, glaring at Daphne. "I did my work! I got good grades, and if I can take my exams, I'll get amazing scores on there, too! I'm not going to repeat the entire year just because Voldemort replaced some of our professors, Daph!"

"Story, they changed the curriculum!" Daphne said, exasperated. "You didn't learn everything you were supposed to. I don't want to repeat my seventh year, but I'm going to."

"But I know it all!"

"You know, I have a meeting with McGonagall in an hour," Mia cut in, gathering their attention and that of those who had been watching the argument, including Draco, Theo, and Blaise, who had spent the night, along with a few others. "I can ask her if you can just take the normal NEWTs and move onto seventh year if you pass."

"Ooh, that's a great idea!" Astoria lit up.

"I doubt she'll have a problem with it," Severus said. He sat on Avery's other side, and held only a cup of coffee in his hands. He looked absolutely exhausted, something that was reflected on James and Sirius. All of them had been called to the ministry halfway through the previous day for their training and hadn't returned until nearly half past three in the morning. Kingsley hasn't been kidding when he'd told them it would be rigorous training. "I can attest to your potions scores."

"That is a great question, however," Dorea spoke up, looking to the teenagers in the room. "How many of you plan to go back to Hogwarts next year no matter exam scores?"

"I am," Draco spoke up immediately. Narcissa looked at him curiously, so he continued. "Slytherins were forced to master in the dark arts. That isn't what I wanted to spend my seventh year doing, so I'll retake it."

"What do you want to do?" Harry asked, surprised. He was still getting used to Draco not being evil, but luckily was able to speak to him without insulting or fighting with him.

"I did wish to work in the Ministry," he admitted. "In Creatures and Beings."

"No!" Mia exclaimed immediately, gathering stares. Draco just sighed and rubbed his temples.

"Potter-,"

"You tried to have Buckbeak executed, Malfoy!" she snapped, getting worked up. "He was _innocent_! You instigated him! Hagrid _said_ not to be disrespectful, but the prat that you are, you made fun of him!"

"Mia," Charlus said in a tone that suggested she needed to be more respectful of their guests.

"What I was _trying_ to say," Draco narrowed his eyes at her. "Is that I understand I was at fault for what happened that day, but it was out of my hands after it happened, Potter. As soon as my father found out, he had it out for the thing."

"Then I've just got one thing to ask you," she decided, meeting his gaze. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Do you want to join Creatures and Beings to _help_ them or just enforce the law as it is now?"

Draco seemed to be having an issue answering her. She stared at him and waited as he put his thoughts together carefully. "Both. I have seen the things Greyback can and has done to witches and wizards and muggles and even his own followers. I've seen how loyal some of the people in his pack are. I want to arrest him, arrest some of the ones in his pack. I also want to protect people from werewolves in general, which would involve keeping them safe and provided for."

Mia blinked, surprised. "Oh. That's… reasonable. There's just one issue with it, though."

"Oh? What's that, then?"

"We'd probably end up working together."

" _You_ want to join Creatures and Beings?" Harry asked her, surprised. "I thought you wanted to… what was it you said you wanted to do?"

"You never asked," she made a face. "I've wanted to do this since third year."

"Remus?" Sirius wondered. Mia, to their surprise, shook her head.

"Buckbeak, actually," she admitted. "At least, he was the first reason. It was horrifying to me that he would just be executed for something that, as much as I love him, was Hagrid's fault. Draco was an arse, but Hagrid was the one that brought such a dangerous creature around a bunch of thirteen-year-old assholes."

"Mia," Dorea sighed. "Language, dear."

"What?" she shrugged. "All thirteen-year-olds kinda suck, Mum. You should know that, you did raise Jamie."

"Hey!" her brother exclaimed, looking even more outraged when Dorea tilted her head as if admitting that she was right.

"So, aside from Draco and Mia," Charlus smiled at the group. "Who else?"

"I am," Theo spoke up. "There were too many interruptions for me to do my work to the quality that I hoped. If I'm going to be a curse breaker, I need to be the best I can be, even if it means going through it all again."

"Yeah, I did jack shit this year," Blaise laughed. "I'll go back, too. Give me some time to decide what I want to do."

"If anything," Daphne poked him. She turned to offer Charlus a smile. "I think I'll be staying back. I don't want to, per se, but Theo is right that our education was spotty at best this year, even more so than the rest of our educations."

"I'm going," Harry agreed, telling his grandparents and most everyone else for the first time. Severus looked at him in surprise, and Harry did his best not to make a face at him. "I got a bit of a wake up call yesterday. I guess I don't want to spend the rest of my life chasing dark wizards."

"I guess it's just me, then," Kat sighed, looking stressed. "I mean, I didn't learn much this year, but…"

"If Jessica is your concern, I'm sure we can find a spot for her to work in the school, if she wishes to," Severus informed her. Jess's eyes lit up.

"I heard Madam Pince quit halfway through the year."

"I'm sure Minerva will be agreeable to hiring you."

"What'll you do, Severus? Are you going back?" Charlus wondered. Mia expected him to say no immediately, but he hesitated.

"Sev?" she frowned. "You can't. Kingsley hired you as a hit wizard, right?"

"Temporarily," he corrected her. "Until we can catch Bellatrix and Dolohov. I believe I will return for one last year and help Minerva set the school in order. She will need as much help as she can get."

"You should come with, then," she decided, casting a quick _Tempus_. When it showed that they'd been speaking and eating for nearly fifty minutes, she let out a squeak and stood. "We should get going, actually."

So, they excused themselves and left the table. Travelling to Hogwarts wasn't much the issue- that only took a quick floo trip into the Headmaster's office, which hadn't been touched since Severus had left it during the final battle.

The issue was finding the woman they came to meet.

Minerva was running all over the place to help with rebuilding. Truthfully, a good bulk of it had been done. All of the structural issues had been dealt with in the first week, but that still left all of the small details. Luckily, the wizarding community had volunteered to help with that, which meant there was a great deal of people all over the place. Someone was repairing a stained glass window while another person was walking the grounds, trying to find the bits of creatures that had been left there, like the Acromentula carcass that was currently being levitated into the air and burnt away.

Severus and Mia spent fifteen minutes trying to find Minerva. When they did, she was in the Chamber, which they only realized when they found a man dressed in jeans and a t shirt walking into Myrtle's bathroom. When they followed him, the sinks had been entirely taken out and instead, there was a ladder fixed to the floor leading down into the Chamber.

It took quite a while to get down there, but when they did, Mia stopped short at the sight. Instead of the rubble of broken walls or the bones of animals, or the shed skin of the Basilisk, they found the place entirely cleared out. The walls had even been cleaned and were beautiful white marble.

They made their way through the halls to find that the entire place had been cleaned the same way. When they got to where the huge door was supposed to be, it was gone and with a tarp covering it instead. Upon entering the actual Chamber, Mia stopped short.

It was _completely_ different.

The large place had been drained of the dirty water, and the statue of Slytherin had been taken away. The entire place was separated into different rooms that looked like they'd been built with everything else when it was originally made. The pair entered one of the rooms and found it much large on the inside, enlarged by magic. It looked a great deal like a common room, including stairs to dorms. They passed through that one to another, and found it was the same. There were another two, but all of them were empty, so they stepped out and Mia finally spoke.

"What the _fuck_?"

Severus shook his head and led her down a hall to the left. Mia recognized it as what used to be pipes, but it definitely didn't look like pipes now. It wasn't damp, either. It had been expanded and there were doors going all down the hall. Upon entering one, they found a classroom matching that of the transfiguration room. The one after that was charms, and then DADA, and then Potions, and so on. After all of the classrooms, it turned to the right, where they found an entire, huge and unfinished kitchen. Luckily, that was where they ran into McGonagall as she stared at a woman, looking like she was very nearly out of patience.

"We cannot possibly be out of money, Mildred."

"Er- it's just that the infirmary took a lot of work, and we've allocated a third of that budget to find people to put up wards around it and the rest of this place, in fact, so we don't have the money to hire the contractor again to make sure it's safe to knock out the wall."

"We can set up the wards," Mia interrupted, gaining both of their attention. "Yeah, I mean, we learned how to jack up wards like crazy not that long ago, for me, at least."

"Miss Potter, you don't have to-,"

"Well, I _did_ bring Voldemort here, so it's sort of the least I can do," she shrugged. "Really, it's no bother. I'd like to make sure the school is even safer than when Dumbledore was alive."

"In that case…" Mildred glanced at the wall that was marked with a big 'x'. "I can go call Michael."

"Go do that, then," Minerva confirmed. Mildred hurried out of the partly done kitchen, leaving the three of them alone.

"So what is this, exactly?" Mia questioned. "You turned the Chamber into… what?"

"An emergency bunker," Minerva explained, waving them out of the room. "I assume you've already seen the dorms?"

"Yep."

She led them down the hall and past the dorms to another hallway, this one _much_ longer and filled with as many doors as could fit. "I decided that it would be best to add in rooms for others to come stay with their children in case of an emergency."

"That's great, but what if someone finds out about it and finds anyone in here?"

"Impossible," she assured the younger woman. "Everyone working down here is under strict Vows, and once the work is done, they've agreed to be Obliviated. There will be a password that very few in the castle will know."

"We were unable to help the students," Severus pointed out. "Some students may need to be made aware of it."

"I intend to create a new position in the Houses," Minerva explained, showing them one of the rooms. It was, of course, enlarged. It held a small living room and two small bedrooms within it. "An Emergency Coordinator. I will hand pick each of the students from each house."

"Speaking of Houses," Mia spoke up. "I enjoyed my time in Gryffindor, but I'd appreciate it if I could return to Slytherin."

"So you are returning?"

"Oh, of course. I never actually got around to my seventh year, here or in the past."

Minerva hummed and led them down to the far end of the hall, where she opened a door and waved them in. It was a large office, reminiscent of the Headmaster office. They all sat, and she looked to Severus first. "Severus. I never got a chance to apologize for that night. I know we had an agreement, but there was no possible way to bring you in on what was happening at that time."

"As soon as Mia restored my memories, I understood," he told her with a short nod, an acceptance of her apology.

"You are, of course, free to return, Miss Potter," Minerva moved on, glancing at her student. "To merge your student files, you will need to merge your identities at the Ministry."

"I planned to do that today or tomorrow," Mia assured her, surprising her friend. She gave him a sheepish smile. "Wanna come with?"

"If you plan on keeping this from Regulus, then I have no choice," he told her, though he didn't really mind. It was nice to be around her again after spending so long with Hermione Granger. Truthfully, just as she'd been worried he'd hate her, he was worried she held some sort of animosity toward him over how he'd treated her.

"As for where you will go, we will be resorting every student at the beginning of the year," she informed them both. "You will be as well."

Mia pouted. "Can't you just take my word for it?"

"I'm sorry, Miss Potter, but I must insist."

She let out a dramatic sigh. "Alright, fine. Oh! Regulus needs to come back, too. He left during his seventh year, so he needs to retake it."

Minerva pulled out a quill and parchment and wrote down both of their names. "Anyone else that you're aware of?"

"Harry," she nodded. "But not to be an auror. He wants to be a Defense Master."

Minerva's lips twitched upward as she added Harry's name with the change in career path.

"And then Theo," Mia said slowly, thinking back to the conversation at breakfast. "Draco as well, but he wants to join Creatures and Beings."

Minerva jotted that down and looked up at her. "The same as you?" Mia nodded. "I'm surprised you're not against that."

"She was," Severus shook his head, trying not to roll his eyes at his friend. "They discussed the matter over breakfast after she insulted him."

"He _was_ a prat," Mia defended, crossing her arms in front of her. "Can we continue? I know Daphne wants to return, too, along with Blaise and Kat Miles. All, assumedly, under the same career paths."

"I would suggest hiring Jessica Miles as the new librarian," Severus cut in. "Since she was hurt, they barely spend time apart. It would be best for them both."

"If I recall correctly, Jessica spent most of her free time in the library, anyway," Minerva commented. "That's no problem. Will you be returning, Severus? As potions professor, of course."

"For this year, yes," he confirmed. "I will help you replace me."

"Oh!" Mia exclaimed, sitting up straighter. "I owled Bill yesterday, and talked to Theo, and they're both hoping to get in here and try to remove the curse on the DADA position, or determine if there is one at all."

"I would appreciate that," Minerva said gratefully, marking down some more notes. "I will have to write up new contracts for Defense professors. I suppose I'll have to find one, as well."

"I have a thought on that," Severus told her. "Avery."

Mia blinked a few times. "What? Did he say he- Avery wants to be a DADA professor? Really?"

"He didn't say as much, but he does have an extensive knowledge on both the dark arts and defending against them. Aside from that, he told me he wishes to join you at Hogwarts."

" _Why_?"

"Because you are reckless and run into trouble constantly."

"Hey, that's rude," she scrunched up her nose at him. "I don't need either of you to stay here for me, Sev. And I'm sure Professor McGonagall wants someone more permanent than what Avery would offer her."

"Actually, I think it's a wonderful idea," Minerva disagreed. "I do trust Severus's judgement, and I would like to take the time to find someone… competent. Mister Avery can have the job for the year, but I'd like someone who has experience with it to join him." She thought for a second before looking to Mia. "Does Remus have a job lined up?"

Mia's eyes lit up. "No! Well, I doubt it. And if he does, he won't anymore."

After scrawling that down as well, Minerva looked up at Mia again. "As for your role in the school, I would like to name you Head Girl and an Emergency Coordinator."

Mia's eyes lit up excitedly, the most Hermione thing that she'd done in a while. "Head Girl? Really?"

"I've known since you were eleven that you would be, Miss Potter."

"But Emergency Coordinator, too?" she frowned. "I don't know if I could do that."

"I watched you do it before," Minerva insisted. "You kept all of the lower years completely safe during the battle by putting them down here. More than that, you were thoughtful and careful and used your resources to get everyone here safely. You are the best person in the school for the job."

Mia sighed but nodded. "Okay. Can I ask who the Head Boy is?"

Minerva considered the question. "Who would you suggest?"

It was Mia's turn to fall quiet to think. She put Harry out of her mind immediately - he'd _hate_ the job. Ron wouldn't be fond of it, either. Regulus would agree to it, but likely only to make sure Mia was fine, so she skipped past him. Neville would be good, but she didn't think he'd want to do it. He'd have enough on his plate with his parents and being an apprentice to Professor Sprout. She skipped right over Blaise, because he wasn't an ounce responsible enough. That left her with two options. Theo or Draco. They were both responsible and serious, but something told her that Draco would loathe being Head Boy. She'd gotten the impression that he just wanted to be a normal student for once in his life.

"Theo Nott," she suggested after a few minutes of consideration. "Out of everyone I can think of, he'd be best for it."

"He was on my short list as well, given he wanted to return," Minerva agreed. She put a star next to Theo's name on her list, as well as one next to Mia's. "He will also be an Emergency Coordinator, then."

"I have a suggestion," Mia told her. Minerva glanced at her, so she nodded, mostly to herself. "I think it'd be a good idea if you leave Hogwarts open to parents visiting for the next couple of years. Maybe set up weekends, like Hogsmeade weekends, where parents can come visit and make sure everything is okay. I can't imagine how nervous parents will be about sending their kids back here after the past year."

"Would you also suggest we leave these open for muggles?"

"I would," she confirmed immediately. "Professor, my parents… I think they should've had many more rights to know what was happening than they did. I'm glad they didn't, because I would've been pulled from school, but I can't imagine how awful it must've been for them."

"Perhaps we can work on that together, Miss Potter," Minerva suggested. "I never did like the policy on muggle parents. Do you have any other suggestions?"

"I do," Severus cut in, gaining their attention. "I believe we should begin school a month early for second to seventh years so they may adjust to being back."

Minerva raised an eyebrow at him. "We can certainly allow them to come early if they wish to, but I won't force anyone away from their families before September 1st."

"I'm sure that will be fine."

"Oh!" Mia sat up straighter. "I also have a request. I'd like to be free to leave the school whenever I need."

Minerva hesitated, eyeing her. "Miss Potter, students aren't allowed off the grounds aside from Hogsmeade weekends."

"I know, Professor, I do, it's just," she sighed, leaning back in her chair. "My family is a bit of a mess. I know we've got time until school begins, but… Jamie just lost his wife, and it's partly my fault. I want to be there for him if he needs me. Not to mention Sirius, who lost another two years, and my parents, who lost _twenty_ , I just- it feels important to me. Besides, I imagine I'll be required to go to plenty of trials when the time comes."

"Very well," Minerva agreed with a sigh. "But this does not extend to any other students, Miss Potter. Mister Black will have to stay here."

Mia did her best not to laugh at that but nodded as seriously as possible. "I'm sure I can convince him somehow."

OoOoOoOoOoOo


	22. Accidents Happen

**Notes aren't my favorite things, but I need to write one just to address possibly the kindest review I've ever gotten.**

 **So, this chapter and what happens at the end is dedicated to k. kuehn. translations. Thank you so much for your kind words. And I'm glad you enjoyed Adelaide Snape! I've had such fun with both of these stories. Fun fact, I didn't have a firm grasp on the difference between each of the mains of my fics until I wrote a multiverse fic and I realized that Mia and Adelaide aren't actually as alike as I thought they were. Also, oddly, Avery is very different.**

 **Also, a note to anyone that might've read the original version of this, A Marauder Hopeful And His Most Logical Friend- I have finally found and posted the 35th chapter of that, which is the last that will ever go up. It's the last that has been written, and I wrote it two years ago. I'm done with that now, and will be continuing on with Trouble Is A Friend with renewed excitement.**

 **Side note, though- reading old writing can be so cringey, man. I cannot handle it. It's incredible to me that I've gone from AMH to this. Even some of this one is bad, honestly.**

 **Another side note, because as I write this, I'm looking through reviews- to Don't Mind Me Just Reading.** _ **This**_ **fic is not a Doctor Who crossover. There will be one at some point in the future, but it's not necessary to read to follow this fic. I don't even know if I'll post it until this is finished. It'll likely be a crossover with my one and only Doctor Who fic, the Wolf and the Flower. But, like, an AU. I dunno man, I gotta bug my beta about it for a while and flesh out those details. I've only recently started on my first draft of it, which is super rough and will likely be completely rewritten. It's a whole Thing.**

 **Anyway, I'll stop now and let you read. Enjoy, and please review and let me know what you think!**

 **May 3rd, 1998**

 **Ministry - Records**

After leaving Hogwarts, Mia's plan had been to head straight for the ministry. The only issue with that was that there was one other person who hadn't gone there yet to update their statues as living - Regulus. So, they stopped by Potter Manor to grab him. While there, Severus had separated from them when Narcissa requested his help with something at Malfoy Manor, which left Mia and Regulus there to go alone.

The place was much emptier than the last time they'd been there. It gave Mia chills just to see how many ministry workers had truly been Death Eaters. The records office was three floors up, and inside was a very familiar face sitting at a desk and looking ready to hex someone.

"Emmaline!" Mia exclaimed, her eyes lighting up excitedly. Her friend looked up in surprise.

"Oh, Mia, thank fuck," Emmaline breathed out. She got to her feet and ran over to wrap her up in a hug. "Fuck. They said you were going to die or something, Mia. You know how pissed I was? You can't just not be dead and then be dead!"

Mia laughed and pulled out of the hug, letting Regulus wrap his arm around her again. "I'm good. Why're you here? I didn't think you worked in records."

"Well, I _didn't_ ," she huffed. "I worked in the CRS, but I got fired for trying to remove the Nott kid from his home two years ago. Since the ministry is fucked, Kingsley asked me to take over here for a couple months, and then I can have my job back. With a good pay raise, mind you."

"What's CRS?" Mia wondered, looking around in wonder. It was a rather dark, gloomy office filled with filing cabinets. The entire office went so far back that she couldn't truly tell how big it was.

"Child relocation service," Emmaline explained. "It's what Marlene wanted to do, so I decided to do it for her."

Mia's smile dimmed slightly. "Well, we're here to declare ourselves alive. Also, combine myself with Hermione Granger."

"Luckily for you, I have that first part down," Emmaline told them, waving her wand. A few files and some official documents flew down onto her desk. "The issue might come in merging your identities. It's never been done before. I looked into it while you were, er- unavailable."

"I was in a coma, Em," Mia rolled her eyes. She and Regulus sat down in the chairs in front of her desk together. "I know it might be difficult, but McGonagall said I have to work things out here before she can combine Hermione Granger's file with mine. I'd _really_ like to have my real file, because I missed so much class while I was there. I really don't want that to be the only record of me up to here."

Emmaline tapped her finger on the desk, thinking back. "Are there any assets belonging to Hermione Granger that you want to retain?"

Mia thought about it for a moment. "There's a few things in my vaults that belonged to my muggle parents. Aside from that, not really."

"Ah, well, Gringott's isn't an issue," her friend waved her off. "They identify you based on your wand, so as long as you've got that, you'll be fine. You're sure that's all you need? No properties or anything?"

"Emmaline, I was muggleborn," Mia reminded her. "The most I have is my parents' house, which is muggle paperwork."

"In that case, I think I know what we can do for you," Emmaline said with a grin. "See, some sneaky cunt installed a time-turner driven delivery system down here to avoid waiting for paperwork to be approved. My money's on Umbridge, honestly. She used to work down here."

"Of course she did."

"How will that help us?" Regulus wondered, eyeing the woman.

"Well, it was one of the experimental time turners," Emmaline explained excitedly. "I haven't had a use for it before today. It can send objects back up to about twenty _years_. So, my idea is that we send for a name change to be approved back then, with a note to stick it under some old file that won't be touched. That way, legally, you've always been Mia Potter!"

Mia processed the idea slowly, trying to understand. "That'll change my name, sure, but will it be enough for McGonagall?"

"Oh, sure," Emmaline waved her off. "My guess is that her only issue is your different names. Student files are finicky like that."

"How exactly would you know that?" Regulus questioned her.

"Oh, right. The reason Kingsley asked me to do this shit is because I spent the first two years after I graduated reorganizing Dumbledore's filing system, which was super fucked. But he paid well and it kept me safe since I was staying in the castle. I got pretty well acquainted with the way student's files are put together."

"So you're sure that just changing my name will be enough to ensure that she can merge my files?"

"Yep! Technically, she'd have to change the name on Hermione Granger's file to Mia Potter, since it's been incorrect since before you got to school, but that's an easy fix. I've seen that sort of thing changed before."

"Wait, but then… why can't she merge the files?"

"Well, she's probably not actually going to _merge_ them," the woman shrugged, filing out the forms in front of her after grabbing another one. "She'll probably just use the Hermione file."

"I am _so_ confused," Mia admitted. "But if you think it'll work, then okay."

Emmaline nodded firmly and glanced up at her. "Birth date?"

"September 19th, 1979," she offered. The woman scribbled it down.

"Full name? Hermione's, that is."

"Hermione Jean Granger."

"Jean," Regulus commented with a smirk. Mia eyed him and the evil look in his eye that promised some sort of teasing later.

Emmaline hummed and scratched out a few lines, piquing Mia's interest. "What's that?"

"Huh?" Emmaline glanced at what Mia was looking at. "Oh, it's questions about your- _Hermione's_ parents and what House she belongs to. Since you were muggleborn, it doesn't apply to you, especially since you belong to one now."

"Two," Regulus spoke up, gaining both of their attention. At Mia's confusion, he frowned slightly and paused before speaking. "Mia, you bonded yourself to Sirius. That binds you to our House as well. Did he not tell you that?"

"Uh… no?" she shrugged slightly, filing the information away. "He just sort of warned me that I'd be bonded to Jamie too, but I already was, so I didn't care."

Regulus's lips thinned. "My brother is an idiot."

"Ah, there we go," Emmaline said as the paper lit up brightly. When the light faded, everything she'd written was gone and some of the questions had changed. "Right, what's your full name now?"

"Mia Dorea Potter," she offered, gaining another surprised look from her boyfriend. "Mum said I needed a middle name at Christmas, so she changed it."

"What I'll have to do is grab your file from the seventies and put it inside this new one, probably with a note explaining everything," Emmaline told her as she continued to fill out her birthdate. "Right. Parents Dorea and Charlus Potter, of course. You're only a part of the Potter and Black Houses, right?"

Mia blinked, trying to think. "I _assume_ so. I don't remember doing any other sort of rituals."

"Just checking," she chuckled. She paused, eyeing the birthdate again. "Mia, how old are you actually?"

Mia paused to consider this. "I was eighteen when I went to the past, and then I spent ten months there- nineteen, I guess."

Emmaline hummed, eyeing the birthdate. She put a small asterisk next to it and then, at the bottom of the page, noted the difference in her age. "Man, you're the most interesting thing that's walked through these doors in the last month."

"I strive to be confusing," Mia commented with a sigh. Her friend shot her a smile as she continued to fill it out. When that was finished, she tapped the seal of the ministry that sat on the top of the page, and the entire thing took on a slight glow - not bright at all, but enough to tell anyone working there that it needed to be approved and filed. Next, the woman scrawled out a quick note requesting the approved paperwork be stuck to the side of the 'P' drawer. With that done, she grabbed everything and got to her feet.

"Wanna see?" she asked, eyes bright with excitement. She led them over to an otherwise innocent seeming drawer of a cabinet and opened it. Inside sat a time turner, hooked into a machine with a counter. She adjusted it until it was set at eighteen years and then set the paper inside and closed the drawer. A bright, familiar golden light flashed and when she opened it once more, the paper was gone.

"I had no clue there were still any time turners aside from the one I had," Mia shook her head, amazed. Emmaline raised an eyebrow at her as the three made their way back to the desk.

"And whose fault is that, exactly?"

Mia blushed. "Well _I_ didn't shoot the curse in there! Why does everyone blame us? There were Death Eaters there that night, you know."

Regulus raised an eyebrow at her. Mia made a face, but Emmaline was more than willing to fill him in.

"She didn't tell you?" she let out a small laugh and ignored the look Mia shot her. "Well, in '96, this one and her friends decided to storm the DOM in the middle of the night. There was this huge fight, and they got in a lot of the rooms, I guess. Best part is that someone shot a _Bombarda_ at the time room and destroyed _every single time turner_. Except from this one and the one Mia had, of course."

"There are actual Death Eaters to blame!" Mia huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. "We were just trying to keep them from _killing us_. Excuse me if we broke some shit."

"It's probably good that they've been destroyed," Regulus commented thoughtfully. At their confusion, he waved to Mia's eyes. "Now that an unfortunate amount of people know this is possible, it's likely that someone would try to do the same."

"Mm, good thought," Mia agreed. Emmaline smiled at them and grabbed a file sitting in front of her. She pulled something out and lit it on fire. It burned away, and she nodded at Regulus.

"That's you done, then. I'll just add a note that you were… outside of time, I guess, for however long so that they don't come after you for not paying taxes or whatever stupid shit they come up with."

"And my name change?" Mia wondered. Her friend waved her wand, and a file came flying into her hand. It looked somewhat old, and when she opened it, she showed them the aged confirmation of a name change. "That's incredible, Em."

"Yep! I'll just put the note in yours and his and you'll be good," she explained, setting it down. "You're free to leave this purgatory, if you'd like. All I ask is that you visit me again before I lose my damn mind."

Mia let out a laugh and got to her feet, this time with a bit of difficulty. It had been nearly four hours since her potions, which meant she needed to take them again. Regulus took her arm, which she appreciated greatly. "How about I come for lunch tomorrow?"

"Blessing," Emmaline told her seriously. "You are a blessing, Mia Potter."

OoOoOoOoOoOo

It was later that night when Severus returned to Potter Manor to find most everyone asleep. That was true for Mia as well, and he found her asleep on the couch in front of the floo with a book in her hand. He shook his head at her and grabbed a blanket from the chair next to her and draped it carefully over her. Then he reached for her book and pulled it carefully from her hand.

"No, my page," she said in a sleepy voice, her eyes shooting open. Serveus's lips twitched slightly, but he marked the page and set the book down.

"What are you doing, Sano? It's late. You should be asleep."

"Mm, wanted to talk to you," she said, pulling herself into a sitting position with a hard wince. He watched her adjust slowly until she was comfortable again and pulled the blanket up to her chest. He took a seat in the chair he'd pulled the blanket from and looked her over carefully. She was shaking, but she didn't look like she was in too much pain otherwise.

"You've been taking your potions?"

Mia nodded a bit. "I forgot a single potion, not even one for pain, and I had six people remind me. I don't think I can get away with not taking them, Sev."

"Good," he nodded firmly. She was frowning at him now, her brow creased deeply. He knew neither of them wanted to begin the conversation, despite how much they both wanted to have it. And, like the Slytherins they were, they waited for the other to begin it.

As for Mia, she was willing to put it off in the hopes that he'd say something on his own.

"Kingsley called an Order meeting tomorrow," she informed him. "It'll be at the Burrow for lunch. He told me to invite the DA as well."

"I assumed there would be no more."

"So did I, actually. I assumed you guys had held some while I was in the coma."

Severus shook his head. "No. He met with us a couple of times, but only those at Potter Manor, and only to update us on the situation with the Ministry or the captured or killed Death Eaters."

Mia froze, a thought occurring to her that hadn't yet. She paled slightly. "Severus, what did- what happened to Dodd's body?"

Severus put his hand on hers. "We buried him. Dorea offered to do it here. She put up a small memorial for him, if you'd like to go look at it."

She nodded a little and, using his arm to help her, got to her feet. She wrapped the blanket around her shoulders and then took his arm. Severus guided her through the ballroom and out the french doors into the yard. It was large, but Mia spotted the new, large yew tree immediately. There was a bench and flowers next to it, as well, so he led her over to sit on the bench, where she read the plaque.

"'Loyal to the end, Samson Dodd.'" Mia breathed, brushing her fingers over it. She felt tears prickle at her eyes. "I didn't want anyone to die for me. He shouldn't have come."

"You'd have gone for him," Severus reminded her gently. She shot him a glare, one that he fully expected. "Mia, you didn't make the decision for him. He could have stayed, but he didn't. You are not responsible for his death."

Mia set her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. "I can think of one moment that would've prevented his death. If I just hadn't listened to Leon, if I'd ignored him and not bothered to find Dodd in the first place, he'd be alive. Hell, he'd be alive and Voldemort never would've gotten into his head."

"You can't change the past."

"I've done it once before," she muttered. He turned to look down at her.

"Sano, you don't still have that time turner, do you?"

"Even if I did, I couldn't," she told him, unwilling to tell anyone that she had it and planned to keep it. "I saw his body, Sev. I know he's dead. It's different from the twins, or Jamie, or Reg, or Avery. His life… is over. That's my fault."

Severus looked at her in frustration. "You might be the brightest witch of your age, Mia, but you're… _thick_."

Mia scooted back and looked at him in surprise. " _What_?"

"Are you going to blame yourself for all of the other deaths in that battle?" When she looked like she was going to say yes, he shook his head at her in shock. "I'm sure you've heard of survivor's guilt, Mia."

"It's not- it's not just that," she defended hotly, quickly getting irritated. " _I_ brought us to Hogwarts, did you know that?"

"I was aware that Harry certainly could not have done it as… _quietly_ as you did, yes."

"That means I brought Voldemort there, too," she told him like he was stupid. "I asked all of those students to fight! It's my fault we were where they were."

"Mia, you were severely outnumbered. You could not have held them off for as long as you did without that group."

"You don't understand," she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest. Severus's eyes flashed brightly.

"You forget that I lost people as well," he snapped. That alone shocked her into meeting his eyes again. "I made my fair share of mistakes. Who do you think told Voldemort about the prophecy?"

Mia's mouth fell open. It just… made so much sense. She'd never thought to wonder how the man had gotten it, aside from assuming he'd had a spy in Hogwarts. And… he _had_. As she stared at the man next to her, she understood the bitterness he'd held in him, that he still held, to an extent. "Lily…"

He nodded sharply. "I understand the guilt you're feeling better than you think."

"But… that's different," she tried. "You trusted the wrong person. I-,"

"Trusted the wrong person."

"It's not trusting him that was wrong, it was just…" she frowned. But it was, wasn't it? It wasn't that Dodd hadn't been trustworthy, it was just that trusting him put them both in danger, in the long run. She had to admit he was right- their mistakes were similar, at the very least. "He shouldn't be dead, Severus."

"Neither should Lily."

Mia glanced back at the small plaque and then at her friend once more. "Maybe you're right."

Severus let out a short breath. "That is not the only piece of my life I feel I should explain to you, Sano. Do you remember the first memory you showed me when you told me you were from the future?"

Mia thought for a moment. When she did remember, she understood. "Dumbledore."

"Yes."

"Listen, I couldn't care less that you killed him," she said bluntly. "He deserved it, and I have no doubt that you had to, for one reason or another."

"I Vowed to," he told her, despite the fact that she didn't care. "I Vowed to Albus, and I Vowed to Narcissa that I would step in before Draco could."

Mia nodded firmly. "I trust you. I didn't need an explanation. I mean, the Order might, but-,"

"I have already spoken with Kingsley," he interrupted. She offered him a small smile.

"So it's fine."

They fell silent. Severus couldn't help but feel like she was holding back, which he figured was fair because he wasn't exactly speaking his mind, either. He didn't think she'd speak up first, which wasn't that surprising considering the determination with which she could avoid people.

Which left it to him.

"About your time as Hermione Granger," he began, surprising her. She looked at him and waited nervously, but he found himself stuck. What was he supposed to say? 'I'm sorry for bullying you relentlessly for six years'? That didn't seem right, but what else was there to say? It wasn't as if she'd given him the task without knowing what would happen. "I was… cruel to you quite often. While annoyingly enthusiastic, you did not deserve the treatment you received."

Mia scoffed at him, slightly offended. "Excuse me for going twelve years without magic and then being thrown into it all at once."

Severus grimaced. "In hindsight, I can understand that enthusiasm. I suppose I'd never encountered anyone as immediately excited as you before."

"Hmph," she scrunched up her face. "If I wasn't as _enthusiastic_ as I was, Harry and Ron would've died ten times over."

"I do not doubt that."

Mia narrowed her eyes. "I can't tell if you're agreeing with me or insulting them."

"Both, I believe."

"They are idiots," she said lovingly. They lapsed into silence again before he broke it once more, still uncomfortable.

"Mia, I would understand if you held some sort of… resentment toward me," he told her. She seemed to consider his words and, after a moment, sighed.

"It's difficult," she admitted. "I wasn't lying back then when I told you that you were never one of my biggest concerns. Being petrified and keeping Harry from dying in the Tri-Wizard Tournament took up most of that energy. The issue is… I _do_ hold some resentment." Severus couldn't help but feel disappointed at that, but he had brought it up, and he knew it was reasonable. Mia put a hand up. "Not toward _you_. Toward… that fake you. The one that's an asshole. I know you never would've said or done any of that if I hadn't twisted your memories the way I had. I _tried_ to make you bitter and angry, because that's how I remembered you. So… I don't resent you, Severus. I resent… Snape, I guess."

"We are the same person, Mia. _I_ did and said those things."

Mia scoffed. "Tell me right now that I'm an insufferable know-it-all. Tell me that my cursed teeth look exactly the same." Severus winced, and she waved at him. "You can't, can you?"

"You may be a know-it-all, but you are not insufferable."

Mia snorted. "Thank you for your kind, healing words, Severus. I'd always hoped you'd call me a plain know-it-all."

"You're welcome."

"And you may be a bit rude and at times annoying, but so am I. You're not… what I made you. And… I would understand if you were pissed at me for doing that. You might've agreed, but twenty years is a long time to be angry and bitter and it's my fault you were."

"Wizards live long lives, Mia," he told her. "I won't pretend I don't wish I hadn't lost those years, but I'd do it again under the assurance that we'd still be here in the end."

"Ah, look at you," she laughed, nudging him with her arm. "You're a sentimental old man, huh?"

Severus repressed an eye roll. "Or perhaps I wouldn't."

"Well it's a good thing no one is asking," she chuckled, resting her head on his shoulder again. "It's nice to have you back. For me, I was only without you for a few days, but it was awful. I wasn't sure when it'd be safe to get you, and I wasn't sure how long it'd take to make you remember."

"It was, possibly, the longest few minutes of my life," he told her softly. "I remembered you right away, but I couldn't… move. There were more memories. I could hear you screaming and I wanted to help, but-,"

"You did," she reminded him, poking his hand. "And I'm here, and I'm fine."

The memory of that attack darkened his mood significantly. He'd taken so long to get to her, and when he had, he'd been so distracted that he hadn't even bothered to kill Dolohov. Sirius blamed him for the fact that Dolohov was still free, and he agreed. It was why he'd offered to help spend the summer tracking Dolohov down.

"Sev?" she whispered. "What is it?"

"Will you ever stop being in danger, Mia?"

The question surprised her, but she had a pretty certain answer immediately. "Probably not, no."

He had to appreciate her honesty, at least.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

 **May 4th, 1998**

 **Burrow**

Just about everyone that had fought in the final battle was there. The only exceptions were Fleur's family or Viktor's friends, though the man himself had come. It was an overwhelming sight, and the yard and house were filled to the brim.

Just outside of the wards was a small pond, and that was where most of the teenagers decided to gather. All in all, it was Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred, George, Mia, Regulus, Avery, Draco, Theo, Blaise, Daphne, Astoria, Kat, and Jess. They were sitting either on the grass or in front of the water. As for Blaise, he was levitating himself just over the water itself, which seemed to be a very unsteady way of being on the water without touching it. Every once in a while when he lost focus, his leg or arm would dip toward the water and Theo would roll his eyes and wave his wand at his friend to save him.

Mia was in a sundress, and she lay on the grass with her head in Ginny's lap and her feet in Avery's. Her red-headed friend was playing with her hair absently as she eyed Blaise. Avery had been pulled into conversation with Fred about some idea for the prank shop, and Avery actually seemed interested in it.

"So when will you two begin formally courting?"

Mia continued to stare up at the sky, smiling softly at the clouds above them. It was a beautiful day, and it felt like it had been too long since she'd be able to appreciate the world in that way. It was when Ginny threw a piece of her own hair in her face that she blinked. "Huh?"

"I asked when you and Regulus plan to formally court," Daphne laughed. Mia blinked a few times.

"What?"

"Mia and I have yet to look at the contract our parents drew up," Regulus said, taking the question for her. When he mentioned the contract, understanding passed through her.

"We don't actually have to do the whole courting thing, do we? I mean, we've been dating for ten months- er, essentially ten months, anyway. Plus, we've already got a sealed bond, so does it really matter?"

"You have a sealed bond?" Astoria asked, her eyes widening dramatically. "Shit. How'd that happen?"

"Well, it was that or let me be brain dead, so," Mia shrugged carelessly. After everything she'd been through, it was hard to care about the day Bellatrix had tortured her in the bookstore. A few people grimaced at her words, so she moved on. "I understand bonds are typically sealed with marriage, but we're not _technically_ married."

"It would accelerate a normal contract, though," Draco cut in. She looked at him curiously, so he continued. It would take some time to get used to being friendly - or even friends - and in the meantime, they were both carefully polite. She'd tested his patience the day before, but to his surprise, neither of them had cared after their argument at breakfast. Bigger fish, he supposed.

"Why?" she asked, sitting up. She put her hands out to steady herself and did her best to hide the pained grimace. Her best was not great, and just about everyone noticed it, but no one said anything.

"Well, in magical terms, you… are married," he explained, eyeing them. Mia's eyes shot to Regulus, who didn't look surprised at all, but rather annoyed with Draco. The blonde man began to get the impression he'd stumbled on a conversation he didn't want to be a part of.

"Regulus, what is he talking about?"

"Maybe now isn't the best time to-,"

"Draco?" her eyes shot to his, and he saw a silent threat in them. Regulus was annoyed, but Mia was dangerous. Draco certainly hadn't forgotten how hard she could hit, and he likely never would, so he answered her.

"Magic itself would consider you married, bound for life. There is no taking it back. Ever."

" _Hermione_!" Mia screeched. Her magic appeared next to her.

"Mia, look-,"

" _You had us get married and you didn't even tell me_!"

Both Hermione and Regulus winced at the volume and tone.

"Is this, like, normal?" Kat asked Jess, who was staring at them.

"You expect _me_ to know?"

"Would you rather be married or brain dead, Mia?" Hermione tried. Mia narrowed her eyes dangerously, as if threatening her own magic.

"I'd rather you have _told me_!"

"Legally, we're not married," Regulus told her cautiously. "Magically, but not legally. There is a difference."

"So when you said I'm a part of the House of Black because of my bond with Sirius-,"

"Partly true," he admitted. "If you didn't have your bond with him, however, you would be because…"

"Because we're married."

"Yes."

Mia got to her feet and grabbed him by his robes. He hurried to get up and followed her toward the house, leaving everyone behind.

"...chances he doesn't take this out on me?" Draco wondered. Blaise snorted from his spot over the pond.

"Slim to none. You're the idiot that told her."

Draco narrowed his eyes and flicked his wand at the man. Blaise let out a screech as he was thrown into the cold water, splashing Theo, Jess, and Kat in the process.

OoOoOoOoOoOo

Mia tapped her foot impatiently, her arms crossed over her chest. She hadn't said anything since pulling Regulus through the house and over to Grimmauld Place, which was truthfully just the first place she thought of. After five tense minutes, the floo lit up and Sirius walked through. The man stopped short at the sight of them.

"Uh…" he coughed awkwardly. "If you're fighting, don't put me in the middle of it."

"Oh, no, you _belong_ in the middle of this one," Mia hissed. Sirius's eyes widened with panic, and he looked to Regulus, who just shook his head slightly. The floo lit up again, and out came Dorea and then Charlus.

"Oh, dear," Dorea hummed. "Did something happen?"

"We're _married_?" she yelled, pointing to herself and Regulus. Sirius and Charlus seemed to understand immediately, which only confirmed her theory. "Why didn't anyone _tell me_?"

Sirius put his hands up immediately. "Regulus made me swear not to until you got back to the future."

"It didn't seem right with everything going on, dear," Charlus told her. Dorea looked at her husband and son. She seemed calm, but Mia caught sight of the anger filling her eyes.

"Are you boys telling me that all three of you knew Mia has been married for months, and none of you said anything to her?"

"Well, I had to do the binding for them," Sirius admitted. "And then she was still so sick, and by the time I could tell her, Regulus already made me promise."

"And _you_?" Dorea stared at her husband, who shifted uncomfortably. She was a Slytherin, but he definitely was not. Like most Gryffindors, he had trouble hiding his discomfort.

"I was made aware of the binding as the Lord of the House," he explained, mostly to Mia, who was still glaring daggers at everyone - everyone except for Dorea, that is, who seemed appropriately angry for her. "I decided to set up a contract with Orion before I said anything to protect them both in the future. We were still fleshing out the details up until she was taken at the raid, so I never got around to it."

Mia rounded on her boyfriend and raised an eyebrow. "What is _your_ excuse then?"

Regulus glanced at her family hesitantly. "Mia, I'd rather-,"

"Regulus," she said, her voice low. "This isn't something you get to keep from me. I get that you think I'm… incompetent or whatever, but _this_ isn't something you get to decide for me."

"Mia, I don't- I don't think you're incompetent," he grimaced, running his fingers through his hair. "But that's… not a conversation for now. The reason I didn't tell you is that… I didn't want you to know, just in case I… didn't make it."

Mia's anger froze in her chest and was quickly replaced with an overwhelming sadness. He didn't want her to know that they were magically married because, should he have died, she'd have to mourn _that_. It was logic she understood, despite disagreeing with it. She let out a breath. "God, you're so stupid."

"We'll go," Dorea told her, patting her shoulder. "But be sure to be back before the meeting, dear."

Mia took Regulus's hand and led him out of the room and up the stairs to what she knew was his bedroom. She hadn't been in there, no one really had, but she felt it was the right place to go. They sat on the bed together, and she took a moment to look him over. She finally saw what he'd apparently been hiding - his complete fear of his supposed death. Even having survived it, it haunted him. "I'm sorry. I didn't even consider… I didn't consider it."

"I told you I didn't want to talk about it," he reminded her softly. "And I didn't. But I would've been a fool not to admit there was a chance something would go wrong, or that the potion would make me forget the ring. I couldn't help that we're bonded, and I wouldn't take that away for anything. If you knew that magic considers us married-,"

"Your potential death would've been that much harder," she nodded her agreement. "I understand. I just want to know when you planned to tell me, I guess."

"Soon," he said slowly. She frowned at him, not understanding his reluctance to continue.

" _When_?"

"Mia-," he let out a breath, frustrated. "You don't make anything easy, do you?"

"I try not to," she joked. He looked back at her and into her impossible golden eyes.

"On your terms, then."

"My terms?" she frowned. "What are you talking about?"

Regulus took in a deep breath and got to his feet. "Mia. The first time I felt the spark of our soul bond, I was _terrified_. You were just another thing that my family could take away from me - something else the war could take. And then, you did this terrifying and wonderful thing and you made me feel worthy of standing with you. You made me feel like I didn't have to spend my life as another worthless sycophant. You made me _worthy_."

"I didn't do that," she began, but he shook his head at her.

"Your terms, my speech," he informed her. She shut her mouth, suspicion sneaking up on her. "You're a fucking terrifying person to be with, you know that? You're the most jeopardy friendly person I have ever met, Little Lion. Somehow, you make it out of it alive in the end. I don't know how you do it, but I don't care as long as you keep doing it.

"Our lives are going to be filled with danger. You're a Legendary, which means Voldemort isn't the last dark wizard you'll fight. It's taken me so long to come to terms with that. The entire time between you leaving and my leaving, I spent trying to come to come to terms with what our lives will be.

"Until I met you, I never thought that I'd find someone I want to spend my life with. I knew that anyone I cared for could only be too light for the dark life set for me. And then you did what you always do, and you took control and told me that you'd stand with me and hold my hand and fight with me.

"Mia, I didn't tell you that magic considers us married because I didn't want you to feel that heartbreak, but I also didn't want to tell you until I could do this."

Mia already had tears in her eyes, and she swiped at them hard as he got down on his knee. She did her best not to begin crying already, considering he hadn't actually done anything yet.

"Mia Dorea Potter," he began, managing to wink at her when he said her middle name. She let out a short laugh that was a bit more of a sob. "I propose that we ignore anything that contract says. No courting, no long wait- I propose we make our own decision about our life together and when it begins. I don't know about you, but I'd like it to begin sooner rather than later. Will you marry me?"

Relieved that he was finally finished - she did love his speech, but _Merlin_ , it was hard not to say or do anything while he gave it - Mia threw herself into his arms and nodded rapidly. If she wasn't crying before, she definitely was now. She pulled back and pressed her lips to his, unable to find the words.

After a few minutes of kissing and crying, Regulus finally managed to pull back and grab a box from his pocket. He opened it and Mia's mouth dropped open. "It's beautiful."

"I talked to James," he admitted softly. "It was Lily's. He wanted you to have it."

Despite the tears having just ended, Mia felt them begin again. She swiped them away and held her hand out to him. He took it and gently put the ring on her hand. It resized magically to fit her, and she stared at it. "You really want to Jamie?"

Regulus hummed. "I wanted to ask someone in your family, but I didn't want to bring it up to Charlus since he was a part of making the contract. When I told James, he took me to Gringott's and got the ring for me."

"When the hell did this happen?" she asked, laughing even as she wiped away more tears. "You've been around me almost constantly, Reg."

"While you and Severus met with McGonagall," he smiled. He pulled her closer and pressed a kiss on her forehead, then her cheek, then her nose, and then her lips. "I love you, Mia."

"God, I fucking love you too, Regulus," she said, holding him tightly. "I love you too."

OoOoOoOoOoOo


End file.
